~Sometime a few months ago, at Vanessa's residence~
GREGORY
Freddy was a secret crier.
It was something Gregory understood completely. He didn't much like the idea of someone seeing him cry either; even if it was just Vanessa and Freddy around. He was never going to be used to it, he figured, no matter his comfort around them.
And then Luis came around and opened up Gregory's small world a bit more.
Freddy was one thing to be as supportive as he was, but he was also programmed to do so. Its not that being a robot invalidated Freddy's attempts to help Gregory whenever he was upset; but sometimes, Gregory wondered if anyone in the world besides Vanessa would give a damn about himself in terms of a human connection. Freddy was just naturally loving, and while Vanessa's... awkward, strange, and rather belligerent in her mannerisms, Gregory understood her attempts. She wasn't unlike himself in some ways. They found tons of common ground on that- and its something he's come to find throughout months of their arguing and making up for to realize.
Luis was a nice change of pace though. He came around the house and sat with Gregory sometimes; even calling him funny Spanish nicknames to perk him up. He even brought candy sometimes; something Gregory had been suspicious of at first until Vanessa had to explain to the wary child that Luis was just genuinely nice and he was an old worker buddy of hers. Yes, he was an old-fashioned dork who also didn't have a lot going on for him in terms of understanding social cues, but he was NICE.
Humans can be nice too, they all had to remind him.
When Gregory had a day to just stop and dwell on his life, it was one of those moments where his emotions would erupt into something intrusively depressing. A random bout of melancholy; the kind that strikes into your soul and drags the energy out of you. Some days are naturally rougher than others, even if someone isn't going out of their way to ruin it for you. Gregory dwelled on past wounds just as much as Vanessa did. He hated it just as much as she, and found talking about it with her equal parts relieving as it was frustrating.
Luis saw him crying one day though and told him, "There will never be any shame in the tears you shed, hombrecito. Know that no one here is here to judge you or make you uncomfortable. It will take more time than you give yourself to recover, but you also must give yourself that chance to even do so. So remember to breathe, and don't forget there's people here who only want to help you. Whenever you want to talk, you have an ear right here."
Gregory hadn't wanted to be seen crying, but found himself lingering when he heard these words. Luis also gotten up from his chair in the kitchen and meandered over; gently and patiently waiting for Gregory to stop crying without any prompt to make the child talk. He somehow understood Gregory just couldn't speak when he felt this miserable; and it was a sentiment Vanessa too shared. It was no wonder Luis knew to wait, as he's likely helped assuage whatever moments Vanessa might've been going through too.
He even allowed Luis to touch him on his head; warm, strange fingers gingerly and affectionately patting at his scalp in a way Gregory's real father should be doing right now- if he was still alive.
But he didn't have a father or mother anymore. He only had Vanessa and Freddy... and now, Luis.
Luis' touch wasn't immediately accepted; with Gregory tentatively ducking somewhat but not fully away. He found himself wanting of the touch; missing a sensation every child should have at that age; the feel of a parental figure or guiding hand telling you it will be okay. To have someone willingly spend his or her time out of their day to listen and embrace you when you want it; not when they demand it.
So Gregory cried, and he was happy Luis didn't ask for a hug; as Gregory simply wasn't a huggy boy by nature. He appreciated the simple touch he missed oh-so sorely; a touch even Freddy cannot grant him in his current, headless state. Vanessa hugged him a couple times before, but that was only in recent times. Even then, it was rare.
Ever since then, Gregory loved having Luis over. He was even elated to nerd out with him about games and how silly Vanessa looked whenever she attempted cooking (which... was a work in progress). Gregory felt okay with time; and his tears, while still secret, he let them free without shame in his room some days when it was rougher. He was no longer stubbornly trying to choke them down. It was PROGRESS.
But back to the matter of Freddy...
Freddy was a eccedentesiast; a 10 dollar word right there. The definition? 'Someone who hides pain behind a smile'. He never told anyone what's on his mind if it came to his friends; something Vanessa and Gregory learned early on while living with him. Freddy was absolutely keen on helping them figure themselves out-
But not himself.
"Funny thing about him? Bonnie used to goad him about being more open about his problems," Vanessa once told the kid. "Even with his best friend around, Freddy never really opens up about his own issues. He only waves it off and addresses your own. You probably noticed?"
"I did actually," Gregory nodded.
Vanessa sighed as she looked towards living area where Freddy's head was taking a charge. He'd been in rest mode at the time; so not hearing them from their position in the kitchen. "You hear it sometimes too? The er... the sobbing," She murmured, tone so low that Gregory had to lean in to hear it.
He nodded in response, wishing he didn't the times it happened. The noise Freddy makes whenever he's upset tends to STICK. Gregory had asked him a few times what was wrong the times he caught the bear at it; but it was very rare. Freddy had gotten better about concealing his worries from them throughout time-
But it wasn't good enough.
Vanessa's expression softened, "I just... don't know what to do for him. He's lonely, I know he is."
"But he has us, right? How can he be lonely?" Gregory asked.
The woman sighed and solemnly shook her head, "One can be lonely even in a room full of people, kiddo. Its something I think I can understand-" She scratched at the back of her head sheepishly there, coughing uncomfortably before bulldozing on with, "Freddy is just USED to being in huge crowds, the attention, and having his friends right where he can reach them. Sure, yeah, he has us now... but he misses his BOT friends. He's used to a louder life. He'd give his life for them if he could. We may be his family now, but they were always his FIRST family."
Gregory nodded, though that much he already knew. He still felt sinfully guilty however upon recalling what had happened to each of the bear's friends in particular. He felt silly for having asked Vanessa for something so obvious.
"How come we just don't go back for them?" He'd asked, even though he winced at the idea at the time.
Vanessa visibly cringed, "I'm not... sure, if I'm emotionally prepared to help with that yet. We're not in a fit position to be saving everybody yet, kid. Going back there right now is dangerous as it is- and even Freddy would discourage us from doing it. He doesn't want to reasonably run the risk of losing us in the process of saving them. If that happened, he'd really be destroyed."
She tapped a finger to her chin, "I remember passing his room one time not long after Bonnie's disappearance. He didn't hear me at the time, but... I could certainly hear him." Her expression slanted into a more worried one, "I was once of a mind that the bots of the PizzaPlex weren't so advanced in their emotions. I didn't think A.I was THIS far along in terms of complexity. So, I have to admit to writing off the Glamrocks as things a long time ago; devaluing their feelings and thoughts. And even though I was no longer of that same mindset at the time Bonnie vanished, I still didn't think Freddy would be THAT torn up over him-"
She shook her head shamefully, "It was... enlightening for me to see. To listen to him. I couldn't move away; as if the sound and weight of his own sadness was chaining me down to that spot just outside of his room in Rockstar Row. I was inches from the glass that usually displayed his room; turned off my light and even peeked through the curtains-"
She shut her eyes and slumped more heavily on her seat; as if all the energy had been siphoned from her.
"I saw him crumpled on the floor of his room... just sobbing uncontrollably. He was on his knees on the floor, propping his head and arms up on the couch like he tried to crawl into it but stopped half-way. He just kept jerking- unable to move. And the noise he made?" Her hand went to her face and she shook her head, "I knew in that moment as I looked at him, that everything I knew about the Glamrocks had been wrong. That was the very first time I've ever felt real sadness for a robot; and my opinions of them started to shift ever since. I just wish I understood this sooner before Bonnie vanished. I knew they felt like we do; though NEVER to this degree."
Her beryl eyes met his autumn-touched own.
"Gregory, I don't know if we're the right people that can help Freddy... and if whatever we do could ever help him to recover fully, but I know I certainly won't stopping trying for him- as I know he keeps trying for us. He deserves THAT much, doncha agree?"
"Course I do!" The boy nodded. "As if that isn't obvious?"
Vanessa had her turn to ruffle his hair then, her gaze swapping back to the resting Freddy with a noticeably more alert and pensive reverie Gregory had ever seen. Had she been thinking of rescuing Freddy's friends anyways, despite her words? Did she WANT to help get his friends back, even before all this?
Well, however way she felt at the time, Gregory knew this much:
Freddy kept crying, but the boy and woman did whatever they could to bolster his spirits- if even for the moment. They knew he missed his friends dearly, and how, maybe even on a much smaller level, he could miss having a body so he can ruffle Gregory's hair. He even expressed a verbal desire to pat Gregory a couple times; something that made the boy go pink in the ears from. He just wanted to hug and be hugged; and that couldn't be more obvious.
He was a soft, cuddly spirit who was denied all things that can bestow him the most happiness; a hugger whose body was taken away so he can hug no more. A lover with no friend to passionately share his time with. A lone A.I with no like-mind to connect with. Freddy was, even though he had Gregory and Vanesa, truly alone.
He would make sure the boy and woman were gone from the house to likely cry; or were asleep in a completely different part of the residence. Gregory only caught it once or twice when he came home from school early one day and was alone in the house (Vanessa had been at work); catching Freddy's guttering whimper from the upper floor of their two-story home.
Ever since Gregory heard it, he's tried talking to Freddy about it. The bear wasn't forthcoming; and while he could let pass an admission of missing his friends at the PizzaPlex, he would not dare go into further detail. Even reminiscing about them has become noticeably harder for him with time. Its as if time itself was doing the opposite for him; not at all healing his wounds so much as it only made them fester.
He just could not get better.
Present Day-
-Which, was also what made their current mission especially important:
Freddy MUST get his body back. There was quite a few reasons for it too, beyond the obvious:
For one, they can make quicker progress towards Cassie if Gregory wasn't carrying Freddy's head around; as it was heavier than one would think! Not to mention the fact the bear can heft their obstacles out of the way. They can be faster and more efficient by having it handy. And with Freddy's body carrying their supplies, they can have their hands free to move as well. Its bad enough poor Vanessa was carrying a CRAP TON of weight and it was clearly tiring for her.
Gregory inwardly commended her and was silently saddened by the fact he couldn't do more for her when he was small. He was carrying a lot himself; the labtop aside, he had Freddy's HEAVY head and their 'weapons'. And by 'weapons', he meant the fazcam, fazerblaster, and a... device, he won't ever touch: The animatronic taser. Vanessa apparently had a couple on hand.
He looked at her now; the poor woman huffed as she lifted the tool bag and situated it on her shoulder again. On her other shoulder was the car battery and her personal Chica backpack with all their food and medical supplies in it. She kept looking at Gregory and the bear on occasion, her own expression giving the boy a clue that she too perhaps figured getting Freddy his body back meant more than just freeing up their hands-
It was giving Freddy the stability of control again. The enabling of his freedom and choices he can make with his own body; to not have to be toadied around like the toy people had always figured him to be. He was no toy, but a being. He needed that little bit of liberty again. He needed his body back- his ability to be independent, and to ACT.
He wanted this, even though he wouldn't dare admit this. He would think it SELFISH to get his own body back. He wouldn't DARE entertain getting it back if it meant it would cut into his comrades' time.
Silly bear, Gregory affectionately remarked as he gently stroked Freddy's head in his arms. You deserve to be yourself too, you know. You won't need to keep hiding your desires and wishes. You can act as you want, before long. You can be you again!
Now as to the subject of Freddy's friends... having his body back so he can help not just Vanessa and Gregory, but THEM would make him immensely happy. Repairing them will be difficult, but Gregory knew that he, Vanessa and Freddy would stop at nothing to help them as well as Cassie. They were just as complex as Freddy in some ways; and they didn't need to be here in this darkness to rot away.
He frowned when he recalled Roxy though.
Roxy doesn't like me... but its not like I went out of my way to hurt her. She LITERALLY threw herself in my kart's path! SAW that coming, and she STILL stood there! I can't be blaming myself for that one, he figured. Now here's hoping we can get enough time to talk it out...
Monty was also... another matter and a MESS that Gregory had to admit that, while he did ensnare and break up, the gator was a riled-up MENACE. If Monty had been left able-bodied, Gregory knew he would be dead. The gator wasn't hardly himself anymore after the virus took him-
And Chica?
Well, Gregory supposed he'll have to take the blame for THAT one. Chica did not deserve that fate that befell her; and Gregory knew he technically hadn't needed her voice box... but trapping her in the compactor and smashing her was long past drawing a line somewhere. Chica was also, according to Freddy, the FRIENDLIEST of the bots. She just couldn't help what happened to her at the time.
Gregory felt WORSE when even Vanessa said to him once, "I like Chica. She's funny and sweet- when she wasn't on your nerves after wrecking the kitchens and dragging trash across the entire PizzaPlex." She shrugged it off with a small laugh, "And she was like... I guess I find her gimmick cute too? The cupcakes and what-not. I guess she's my favorite if Freddy's yours!"
So who would've guessed that Vanessa liked one of the bots she was once so dismissive of? And Chica of all things! Gregory certainly didn't know that.
Granted, he supposed he should've guessed with the fact Vanessa loves pink, nail painting, and cupcakes. She even baked the stuff all the time, and even had the Chica-themed backpack they were carrying their medical kits in right now. So yes, Vanessa was extremely girly. And if her life hadn't been so fucked up, Vanessa would've no doubt liked the bots more and tried to hang around the chicken. Freddy thought it was adorable when he learned about it a couple months ago.
"Chica would have given her the biggest hug if she saw her nails and cupcake-themed bed sheets!" He chortled, "I have no doubt they'd go baking together. I wish I could see it... maybe in another life, we were all friends from the start?"
If only, Gregory wondered as his hand stroked Freddy's head again.
Now to the strange matter of the animatronic taser they will hopefully NOT have to use:
Gregory winced when he first saw it. It looked awful; a large, HEAVY box with a powerful battery and sharp prongs meant to latch into the bots by FORCE. They wouldn't be able to rip it out too fast and easily; and it left scratches in their shells once latched on. No doubt the penetration of just the tactile sensors was a gross violation within itself- let alone the horrid discharge of energy powerful enough to stop a moving car and stall it.
"Why is this so POWERFUL?" Gregory once asked when he saw it for the first time a while back- right around when they moved in together and he was going through her tools in the garage. "That's just... overkill. And straight mean!"
"So, funny story," She began in response. "The tasers are because of another bot that used to live at the PizzaPlex too. He was very... quirky, to put it mildly. He used to be the daycare attendant before Sun and Moon."
Freddy gritted his fangs and produced a grimace, "Ohhh... Ohhhhh- yeah. That was not... oh."
"-'Oh', what?" Gregory pressed.
"Dunno how much you know of Fazbear Entertainment's original cast but... you know Foxy, the pirate?" Vanessa queried.
"Yeah-? Wha- WAIT-" Gregory pumped his arms and gasped audibly. "FOXY? FOXY WAS THERE? NO WAY!"
"Yeah... he was."
"What happened! WHAT HAPPENED," He grabbed her hand and shook it.
She bobbed her shoulders unhelpfully, "I don't know the details but... he hurt people. Bad. He was a hard lesson in the School of Knocks, to put it mildly. He went on a crime spree and no one knew why he malfunctioned that day. He was so strong too... the electric shock feature on the doors were the only reason why more people weren't... weren't..."
And when she fell silent, Gregory wasn't sure how much more he'd wanted to know. Its bad enough Freddy looked like he wanted to change the topic.
And now, after Vanessa's story of Glamrock Bonnie's weird behavior, it lead Gregory to wonder if Foxy somehow evolved as well; or if he simply malfunctioned due to being a young A.I at the time and not quite finding himself. Vanessa said she never met Foxy though and hadn't worked at the PizzaPlex at the time of his activation, and couldn't tell him in detail what he's like. She'd barely gotten the name from fellow staff when she first started. So Gregory asked Freddy what happened instead.
In which the bear could only sadly reciprocate, "I do not recall... when they decommissioned him, I think they wanted to scrub all traces of him from the record. He did something REALLY bad on top of the attacking."
"Wha- ON TOP OF ATTACKING AND HURTING PEOPLE?" Gregory was rightfully incredulous.
If the bear could shrug, he would. His ears flapped once as if to make up for it. "I do not know what it was myself, as I don't have the incident logged in my memory bank. It was before I became more... aware of myself, as an individual. I was not as complex at the time nearer to my creation. We had to develop over time, you know... and I didn't, or wouldn't, have the foresight to protect that memory from the incident. They only managed to delete my logs because I did not yet understand the complexity and wrongness of the action. The last thing the staff would have wanted was for one malfunction bot to teach another working one that maiming people is okay."
Gregory felt his complexion wane. So Foxy was truly THAT bad?
He couldn't stop himself from asking however, "So you don't remember ANY performances with him? Was he not a Glamrock?"
"Quite the contrary, my fine boy! I'm sure he was a verified Glamrock... Foxy's popular, as you know. He's always been ever since his very conception decades ago. People love the underdog and misfit types, and that was his whole shtick!" He bobbed his ears again, "But sadly, I have nothing to say of my own personal experiences to account for. All I know is that they wanted him scrubbed from our history and I cannot fathom why. All it did was teach the staff that they needed to carry portable methods of defense. Security doors were buffed... and new rules were imposed about our free will. He truly was, as far I know, a wild card."
And now, seeing how they've wanted to erase Bonnie from the records in similar fashion, Gregory started to see connections. It brought him to wonder just how stable Foxy was and how complex his personality is. But if Vanessa's story of Bonnie was anything to go by, its likely Foxy gave no fucks about HOUSE RULES. No decently programmed PIRATE gave a damn about rules. It'd stand to reason that a developing A.I like him may have been the pioneer of complex development and just couldn't stand the weight of his intelligence during his young age as a new bot. Maybe he grew too fast and couldn't keep up- or it could've been something else entirely. A bug, virus, or he was sabotaged like Bonnie and pressured into action- No one knows!
Its an educated guess, but it made Gregory wonder about the animatronics around him NOW. How much more complex can they get under duress? How smart or resilient they can be with time?
Well, if any of them can do it, no doubt the Mimic can too- and its something it's already enacted upon by tricking Cassie as it had. All the more reason to deal with it.
Back in the present and broken from his inner musings, Gregory found himself inside the ruins of Fazerblast; with Freddy producing a sad vocalization that bordered a whine, groan, and a sigh of defeat. No doubt this was hard on him. Gregory was taking in the sights himself; blinking rapidly when he found a slab of broken wall with graffiti on it. He grabbed Vanessa's shirt and tugged a couple times to get her attention.
"Wha- oh?" She raised a dark brow.
The trio arrested their now wary gaze onto the yellow, hastily air-brushed words; Gregory feeling something like a lump seep into his gut as he read in capitalized lettering, "IT CAN'T SEE YOU". Whoever wrote that, definitely wanted their message to be seen.
"The heck-?" Gregory started.
Vanessa walked over to it, looking around the wall for any other clues. Nothing stuck out, so she sighed and turned back to the boy and bot. "This isn't good... this graffiti... I didn't know more people could get this far inside the PizzaPlex!"
"And the fact they wrote what appears to be a warning message," Freddy noted aloud. He squinted as he eyed the yellow graffiti. "That is... an ill-omen."
Vanessa retreated from the wall like it offended her, her expression suddenly sick. "Finding Vanny's face graffitied into some of the walls here was bad enough... but now I wonder which bot they're talking about here-" she said while shaking her head. "You think they found Roxy? Seeing as it says, 'it can't see you'..."
Gregory glanced around with the bear's head, then bobbed his scrawny shoulders, "Beats me! I can only think they do-? But if that's true-"
"I pray Roxy hasn't actually hurt anyone who could have come in here," Freddy mumbled next. "She would be devasted if she woke up to find out she's been manipulated into hurting others in such a manner all this time..."
Eager for a switch in topic, Vanessa got them back on track with, "Hey... Freddy, can you see your body anywhere?"
The bear scanned with Roxy's eyes; eventually replying with, "No. We must venture a bit further in. I think I fell around the uh- center structure-? Oh... its in pieces. How will we ever get there?"
"Very carefully," Vanessa replied smartly. She wore a wry, ironic smirk on her face. No doubt she wasn't finding this fun in the least.
The group ventured in, hearing the occasional spark and crackle of electricity. This prompted raised brows from each; as it indicated there's still power in this area. Moreover, the weird amount of S.T.A.F.F bots trying to hold up the walls was also noteworthy and QUITE abnormal- like they were fighting a war with the wreckage itself and lost. Some of the bots were buried beneath panels of walls and ceiling; limbs poking out as if begging for help. This place felt weirdly like a graveyard.
"Creepy..." Gregory mouthed.
"You can say that again," Vanessa murmured next, gesturing to Freddy for another scan.
The bear did so; narrowing his eyes when his optics locked upon a certain point to the other side of the claustrophobic arena. "I see movement... OH! THAT'S IT! MY BODY IS THERE!"
"Wha- REALLY WHERE?" Gregory looked around.
"It just- just...ah," He fell quiet. Then, the alarm slowly took his face. "DUCK!"
If he hadn't seen it coming, they for SURE would've been hit by the huge slab of metal wall that went careening right through the air like a killer frisbee- and it would've taken their heads clean off with it. Vanessa pulled Gregory down with her; covering him with her own body as it roared by with hell's own wrath in its wake. The force of the wind ruffled hair; the sound of screaming metal freezing blood in their veins. Freddy "Oomph'ed" when he collided with the ground.
Now Gregory looked up- and nearly pissed himself when he saw Freddy's feral body stumbling haphazardly but doggedly towards them. It lurched blindly around; claws scraping and sliding against the walls and bots alike with an abandon not unlike a rabid zombie. It even stopped briefly for that second; as if to try and sense them since it was blind. It opened its chest cavity, then, produced this groaning, rolling, primal tremor akin to a roar as it proceeded unerringly towards them- naked claws swiping even before it neared. It accidently but cleanly caught a S.T.A.F.F bot's head and lopped it off with liquid ease along the way.
"FUCK ME!" Vanessa yanked Gregory up and pushed the boy ahead of her- throwing her tools down on the ground for the sake of speed. "FUCK ME FUCK ME FUCK ME FUCK ME- FREDDY! YOU DIDN'T SAY YOUR BODIES CAN DO THAT!"
"I DIDN'T KNOW THEY COULD DO THAT EITHER!" He half-sobbed.
The body snapped its busted torso pieces; flapping them obscenely like the gaping jaws of a carnivorous fish trying to suck in prey. Its claws scored metal sheets with a sharpness that suggested they wouldn't get worn down anytime soon. At one moment, the body bumped into obstacle; screamed at it; then threw it out of the way despite it being a chunk of ceiling clearly heavier than IT is. Its arms whined with the force- as if its doing damage to itself by exceeding the weight limit its servos can exert.
"No inhibitor on the strength- SHIT." Vanessa spat as they turned another bend in the labyrinth of walls. "I think its running Vanny's tampered version of the Security program! It takes ALL blocks off!"
"...BISCUITS!" Freddy grunted in place of a swear as he bounced on Gregory's chest. "We can't go near it then! We need to leave right now!"
Gregory glared, then turned down a path without Vanessa while throwing his labtop at her. The woman screamed after him, "THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"
"I need to get somewhere out of the way! Duh!" He said over his shoulder. "We can use the laptop! It can't chase both of us at once! Hack it! USE M.X.E.S!"
Vanessa glared, conceded, then took a different route.
It was hard to tell what the body would go for; Gregory or Vanessa. But for some obscene reason, it chose Gregory. It went bumbling after him; screaming and groaning as it banged into another wall and scratched an indentation no less than 2 inches into solid surface.
"WHY DID I RIG YOU WITH MONTY'S CLAWS?" Gregory screamed as he ducked into a room branching off from the laser tag arena.
Freddy didn't answer; as his eyes suddenly caught movement from somewhere else. He opened his mouth to warn Gregory-
And then both of them got promptly SCOOPED up into the air by a pair of lithe, over-long limbs that continued to lift, lift, lift. They were air-borne; the static-charged, coppery stale air hitting Gregory's face like a clap of live wires. Gregory of course yelped and almost dropped Freddy's head; bumbling it and grabbing him accidentally by his left ear when he slipped in his grasp. He pulled him back up and stared flabbergasted at his rescuer-
Then he SCREAMED when he met the bi-colored eyes of the daycare attendant himself. Or rather, its wrecked up zombie-like variant:
The attendant was missing more than half his face plate; making him look like some Eldritch gargoyle with a flat-skull with no flesh on it and flapping, blocky teeth. For that matter, Gregory didn't know he even HAD teeth beneath that jester's mask! What's more, he was missing a lot of his chassis and one of his bells; making him harder to hear. Gregory can actually see this bot's motor inside his narrow breast too; something that wasn't very powerful but its compact size and the damage sustained to the rest of him surprised the boy.
"Whoa! You're safe with me, little man! Calm yourself," He told them, his voice somehow different from Sun and Moon. Gregory would've raised a brow if he wasn't so startled.
His cable was stuck in the ceiling somewhere- not that Gregory can see where. Once the attendant found a stretch of catwalk above the Fazerblast arena, he landed gracefully upon it without a single wasted movement. He deposited Gregory onto the grate; then reeled in his cable into his back. Gregory could only stare at him in blunt shock; unable to discern who this was. Sun? Moon? That didn't sound like Moon... he just saved them too! Moon wouldn't do that.
He's not hacked, Gregory realized. I think he's on our side for right now?
Another roar brought their attention back to the ground level; where they saw the bear's body was bumping and stumbling over another S.T.A.F.F bot and clawing madly at its metallic carcass on the floor. Some debris came off of it; a piece of metal goring into the pelvis and some of the chassis having come loose. The body got up; turned confusedly around, and attempted to go after the only other person at ground level with it-
"VANESSA! ITS ON YOU NOW!" Gregory bellowed.
The former security guard's pallored, sweat-covered visage was almost a beacon from where she was crouched. She typed furiously away all the while; no doubt hearing the wretched husk groan its way over. Once it got within a few meters, she booked it with the laptop still open in her hands- though she couldn't finish hacking it when she was too busy watching her feet to keep from tripping over debris.
Gregory turned to the attendant, "Help her! PLEASE!"
He hesitated.
Why was he hesitating? The bot clearly heard Gregory though, producing some sort of noise of resignation before throwing its cable back up into the rafters above. He stood on the catwalks' guard rail and dived; swinging with the expertise of a true circus athlete towards the woman. He may not be able to hold her long, but its long enough to get her ahead of the malfunctioning, munching menace. Gregory could only watch in bated horror all the while.
Vanessa heard him coming, lifted up her arms while still grasping the computer, and allowed the attendant to elevate her briefly off the ground. Once they got far enough from the bear's body, he deposited her on the ground far ahead of it and sailed away again. She took the time to type- looking up every few seconds. Gregory was biting his nails at this point; not noticing Freddy was lop-sided on his chest.
The husk still managed to find her- how was it doing that? It couldn't SEE. Was there some sort of sensor none of them knew of? Even Freddy hadn't known it could do that, Gregory recalled. Its bad enough it seemed to be computing its own decisions- it must've had a second CPU unit in the motor somewhere that existed outside of the main brain's will in the head. That was all Gregory can assume since it was still coordinated enough to do path-finding and control the limb mechanisms.
A second brain... like a cockroach. Ew.
Gregory felt his gut wad up into a slimy mess as he watched Vanessa bolt again. To her credit, she was doing well- and she wasn't screaming or panicking in the least. The boy felt an increased surge of respect for her as he watched his guardian do her best to disable Freddy's reanimated body; and all the while on the move.
The attendant sailed down again; and once again, the two were air-born. It seemed the attendant had a weight limit to his cable though; as Gregory heard some sort of noise whine from where the cable met his back. The attendant- Sun or Moon or whoever it was- barely got Vanessa back to ground level before it seemed to jam. He steered away from her; then landed somewhere nearby. It seemed he couldn't get enough height so he can get her to a safe place to finish what she was doing either.
Dammit.
Gregory beat on the rail as he watched the husk turned confusedly towards where it sensed its contenders; but it once more staggered towards Vanessa. Why? What programming dictated it stay focused on her? Was it just coincidence? The boy had no clue-
The husk just then hulled up a solid metal sheet; lifting it high over where its head should be. Then, it HURLED it over at her! Vanessa screamed and duck; the killer slab landing so close to her that it nearly caught her leg. She yelped and CONTINUED to type furiously on her little labtop; urging M.X.E.S (even in his limited intelligent state) to disable the bear's body.
And then, just as it started to surge at her again- it came to a stop; the attendant latching himself to its back! He pulled its heavy arms over its nonexistent head; the claws flapping and gripping at empty air. Like a prolific body builder who couldn't reach that one spot in the middle of their back, it failed to ensnare him. It did however throw itself around; snapping its chassis pieces open and closed every second. It even ran its back into the wall; nearly knocking the attendant off.
Sun/Moon held on stubbornly even though the thing kept wriggling; granting Vanessa precious time to keep typing just a short distance away. The body could keep slamming him into the walls; hoping to dislodge it from its back. And then-
It finally stopped.
Literally, just came to a dead stop. It steadily slumped over from its own sheer weight and onto its back on the floor. The attendant jumped off just as it did; dusting his hands off and politely fixing his cable as best he could. He was shaking a little, jarred but not anymore damaged than he already was. he may have just got banged around, but he didn't look the worse for wear than when this scuffle started.
That was... pretty cool, Gregory couldn't help but childishly think as he eyed the attendant with a respect he hadn't had before.
Vanessa meanwhile went "Phew!" and shut the laptop. "Got it! I disabled Security Mode on it! Greg, you okay over there?"
Her voice snapped him out of his starry-eyed daze. "Yeah! Oh my god, that was AMAZING!" He pumped his arms up in the air, then bellowed, "WOOHOO! THAT WAS SO COOL!"
Freddy meanwhile was grinning ear-to-ear, "You both rocked that stage! Fine work!"
The security guard had lost her hat at some point; and she only just know noticed when she tried to grab the lip of it just to pull it over her eyes in a show of sheepishness. She only shook her head, sighed as in 'oh well' at its loss, then breathed in and out slowly as if to catch her breath. She then called out, "Can you get down from there?"
"I'll find a way down! Gimme a sec," Gregory returned eagerly.
Gregory went to do so; noticing several areas in which he could. He watched the attendant from the corner of his eye though, a little wary and suspicious of the change in heart. Who the heck was this? Why'd he help? He was glad for it, don't get Gregory wrong, but it seemed for a wild moment there- the attendant almost DIDN'T bother to go save Vanessa.
Like he seriously considered leaving Vanessa to die.
Guess its time for some answers, Gregory figured.
ECLIPSE
Why'd he do that? Why the hell did he just save that wretched beast of a woman?
Oh... its because a child asked him to, huh? Of course. And as it happened, he was in safe mode. Which meant; all humans must be SAFE.
He couldn't make up his mind about leaving Vanessa down for that hot, horrible second. One side of him said to ditch her and leave her to the flailing body to maim- but the rest of him was programmed to help any child who asks for it- so he supposed in hindsight, Gregory's plea was more important than anything else. Literally, Gregory's plea and his Sun side said, "Save her regardless of the fact she's responsible for something horrible in the past."
And, he also supposed he wanted to get some answers from them as well as get Freddy's head back. He wanted to see Freddy fixed too; and the only way to do that was to stop the body from moving. Vanessa apparently was the only one with the means to do so, with that labtop of hers...
Mutual benefit, he supposed.
He paused when he heard Gregory shout how cool that was; and then couldn't help his invisible blush when even Freddy chimed in with that excited bit of praise, "You both rocked that stage! Fine work!" He literally just stopped DEAD when he heard such adulation.
Now, at heart, Eclipse and his other sides had always been stage performers; it was what he was BUILT for. So a tiny part him- or rather, a LARGE part of him, couldn't help but take a bow. And take a bow he did! He literally bowed on cue as he heard their praise. He even also heard a clap close by; from Vanessa no less! What a pleasant and shocking surprise!
It... made him feel good. Like he did exactly as he should have. Like what he was always meant to do.
The realization had the bot wondering about his whole life for that one second; recalling his prior life as a stage performer before being made into the glitchy daycare attendant. He knew he'd always been unstable since the transition but... right now, he felt complete. To have done as he's been built to do- to do something daring and interesting! To hear even a small round of applause or praise!
He was blissfully whole for one second- all sides quiet and content and humming with victory; Sun, Moon, and Eclipse. All as one for that precious second in time. He was WHOLE. He was a performer again for that moment, and it was a feeling he'll later dwell on and relish.
"That was pretty epic," Vanessa said to him, her smile far kinder and easier than he's ever recalled.
Isn't she always so disgruntled and bothered by something? he wondered. Last he checked, she had no respect for the bots. What happened here? Who is this woman who actually praises me where she would have berated me before?
She went on though, sounding awkward as she did, "You uh... thank you. By the way. For the help? Er- Can I help with that?" She point at the unwound cable at his back, her expression contrite.
He blinked at her, then raised a single long-fingered hand in a sign in the negative. "I got it," he replied uneasily as he rolled up his cable. He opened his chest hatch and pressed something; the rest of the wire rolling in like a length of measuring tape. It snapped to a close within seconds; then the attendant ended up eyeing Gregory as he ran over while carrying Freddy's head. The bear was still smiling, albeit a little uneasily. He didn't seem addled...
OH. HIS EYES! HE DID HAVE ROXY'S EYES!
Eclipse found himself locked onto the bear as Gregory ran up to him to stand (albeit warily) by his side. the boy even threw a piece of debris at the unmoving body- and when it didn't budge again, he started to toe his way towards it-
That's when Vanessa reached out and shook her head, "Gimme Freddy. I'll do it. You go grab my duffle. I left it near the center of the arena, bottom of the platform."
"-M'kay."
The boy watched Eclipse again, giving Freddy's head to the woman but not breaking his eye contact with the bot. Vanessa sighed meanwhile, then steadily made her way over and knelt down by the body even though she was still clearly apprehensive of it. Eclipse shuffled from foot to foot as he watched her start evaluating the wires.
"Aw, come on! Don't tell me I'd need to go all the way to Parts & Service for new neck connectors after ALL that?" She griped while face-palming. "Just look at this! Freddy's neck wires... most of them are all- UGH."
Ah. There's the disgruntled woman I know, Eclipse dryly observed. She's just buried a little deeper in there now.
"I think there's enough parts here that are useable if we take from the S.T.A.F.F bots," Freddy supplied easily, darting his borrowed eyes around as if to motion to them. "I can control my body and make it move, at least. I'll also have control of my limbs, but I can't say it'd be articulate."
"Oh, that's a good idea actually! Alright," Vanessa conceded, then checked his head again. "I think we can work with it. It'll be temporary. Anyways-" Now she glanced back at the Eclipse, "Who am I speaking to, exactly? Can't figure it. Your voice don't say its Moon or Sun-"
"That's because I am neither. I am Eclipse-" He bowed with a flourish, his voice mellifluent and polite. "The third and final personality."
"How eloquent," Freddy praised again.
Gregory stumbled over, grunting as he carried the bag. Eclipse swiftly walked over and helped him with it. "I got it, little one. Please rest," he coaxed.
The boy raised a brow and relented, confused as he eyed the detail of Eclipse's hastily repaired outer form. "So... there's three of you rattling around in there?" He queried bluntly. "Why? I'm so confused... isn't that harsh on a body like that?"
"Sun and Moon are characters in what would've been a play," Eclipse supplied as he gave Vanessa the tool bag. "I am, as you could almost say, the default personality. Like erm- the narrator to a stage play? I was supposed to be a performer- not the daycare attendant when I was first built." He motioned to the back of his head, "And keep in mind, little one. My circuit board is more complex than any of the other bots here, actually. I can shoulder having many personalities where it would be maddening for others for the sake of show. Adversely, and as complex as my circuit board is... it proves to be vulnerable to any glitches. Eclipse simply never emerged after I was reprogrammed into being the daycare attendant."
"Oh. Okay, cool. That explains it," Gregory put one fist into an excited palm. "Right. The daycare theater. Of course they woulda had a mascot for that. I get it now!"
"I also did a little stand-up-" He pinched his fingers together there. He suddenly folded his arms in a mild pout as he groused, "And to think, replacing me with Comedy bot was supposed to be GOOD idea! Harrumph! That one-trick joke toy couldn't hold a candle to my acts!"
Gregory smirked as he eyed him all over like he was truly seeing him for the first time. Then, his expression altered and he tilted his head, "I know its not relevant, but... Did you know Foxy?"
The question took him off guard, but he waved a noncommittal hand, "Not super well. But kinda? Eh... Not really? he only dwelled in the daycare and didn't interact with me." Eclipse shrugged, "I don't remember him too well, it was so long ago..."
Gregory was about to ask- but then Vanessa cut him off. "How'd you get set back to Eclipse?" She queried, showing actual interest in himself and not the bot whose been pretty much stricken from the records.
Huh. So she's helping them and being polite. Why? Didn't she try to kill Gregory not super long ago? Didn't she destroy Bonnie not so long ago? Use those awful tasers on him once? Eclipse drummed his spidery digits together, frowning as he tried to get a proper read on her.
"Cassie helped save us," he began uncertainly. "She's been helping us all over; Sun requested a reboot and she obliged- despite the harm Moon would've posed. She is a very caring, loving soul. And the rest of us are here are trying to make the most of it with her here. Are you here for her, by chance-?"
He needn't finish his question before he was receiving delighted looks from all of them.
"OH MY GOD!" Gregory pumped his arms again, running up and nodding rapid-fire, "Yeah! We came here to find her but kept running into obstacles- so we veered over here to see if we can use Freddy's body to shorten the work! We wouldn't have been able to help her if we had to carry her out... and we're carrying all this STUFF. We brought medical supplies, food, all kinds of things! Its a bit much honestly..." He shook his head, "So, do you know where she is?"
Eclipse flicked his stare between them. Could he trust them? Maybe Gregory and Freddy- but certainly NOT Vanessa. He frowned anew, then tucked his hands to his chest to pull on his wrists and fingers in a show of anxious nuance.
"Yes... we know where she is," he began again with clear hesitation. "She's sleeping right now, and we're currently trying to find ways to help. We're a bit short-handed on supplies..."
"Good thing we brought some," Vanessa hummed happily. She finally put Freddy's head onto his body; dragging out a pair of pliers and messing with the wires now. Gregory walked around the body for a second- the boy's hazel eyes narrowing at the damage as the woman went on. She flicked her head to a pink bag in particular, "That Chica bag has our medic kits. Take them for her. And there's food in it too. I bet she's hungry. How is she, by the way? Is she hurt?"
Eclipse hung his head, remembering his folly anew. I shouldn't have let her out of the daycare by herself, he recalled somberly.
"Yes, unfortunately. She has a leg fracture and bruised ribs- She can talk but not without difficulty. She's also covered in a vast number of nasty cuts and bumps," He grabbed the bag, checking inventory in it. He couldn't be more glad to see that they've brought something so valuable here- Roxy will be pleased. But... he was still confused about their intentions and Vanessa's past.
Bonnie's words swirled around his head endlessly, his stare hardening into a glare as he watched the former guard. At least she had the graces to look horrified by the portent regarding Cassie, so he decided to go for broke and continued, "We wanted to get her some help but... I'm afraid we're trapped in here. We wouldn't have been able to send for help unless we made our way to the exit and get a localized signal- but we also didn't want to move Cassie anymore than needed until after she's rested some. Her injuries are agitated enough! Rightfully, our options are a bit limited." Eclipse glanced away, "We can't get Wi-Fi signal... can't send a ping, nothing. And we'd shut down within an hour if we tried to hoof it to any nearby facilities outside the megaplex. You see our issue here?"
"Yeah... yeah I do," Vanessa heaved. "Well, again, glad we came prepared."
Gregory's expression contained an inflection that prompted for Eclipse's programing to reach out and hug it away- but he did no such thing. He still recalled Roxy's toxic words about his behavior too. What the heck was he looking at here?
So now he turned towards Freddy; trying to best judge the situation from observation of the bear. He seemed himself at the moment... and he wasn't worried. Was that good? Was Freddy maybe tampered with and only looking like he was fine? Did Vanessa and Gregory treat him poorly in they time they've clearly had him?
Gregory was seen bending down and prodding at something on Freddy's right foot nearby. "Huh," he was heard saying, "Heya, Freddy? Did you know you had a word on your foot here?"
"A what-?"
"You have a word on your foot. Uh... 'Prototype'?"
The bear couldn't exactly move his head to see yet; as Vanessa was trimming the connector wires and slipping them into his head. The woman frowned and briefly leaned over to see. Eclipse did the same, feeling himself fidget anew as he eyed the print on the bottom of Freddy's foot. The former security guard grunted, then resumed her work, "Guess you're the first Freddy built here. Congrats on that. You're not a clone!"
"I- what?"
Gregory stared at Vanessa now, then seemed to recall something, "You didn't have this on when we were here-"
"There's signs of coverage on his foot. That's residue was from rubber cement, not just dirt and debris. It was adhering a fine tape strip to the bottom of his foot to appear flat and uniform with his color," the woman supplied. "I wager the strip was like professional duct tape but not quite? They don't want to freak out their developing, intelligent A.I baby bear with a word as incriminating as 'prototype' suggesting that they've probably made more of you. They want you to believe you're special-"
Now both bots (and boy) were giving her a look of concern.
"See? Right there. THAT'S why it's covered up. At least Freddy can rest easy knowing he's the first Freddy built here. Probably the first ever Glamrock Freddy ever!"
That didn't seem to appease them; because now Eclipse was wondering if there was more freaky variations of himself- like he needed more of that when he can barely stand himself as is! He was fidgeting increasingly more. "There's... copies... of us?" he warbled out weakly.
"Oh shit... Opened a can of worms here," Vanessa grumbled before passing them a sad look. "Uh... Yeah, there'd be more of you if there's other PizzaPlex locations open out there across the states... but I haven't looked those up. So let's not worry about right now..."
"I still feel very worried," Freddy muttered beneath her. "I don't think... am I not just a... I'm not a toy, right? There's not a million me's out there, yes?"
His weak, slightly lowered baritone noticeably showed his weakness; and it echoed Eclipse's own sentiment. Even now, considering there could be more of him out there, even Moon inside of him was uncomfortable and wriggling around in discomfort at the mere thought.
Vanessa was seen reaching to touch Freddy's head oh-so sweetly; something Eclipse had never envisioned her doing. It was like she was patiently taking a child's temperature as she palmed his forehead and held. Her thumb scraped gingerly around his magnetically clipped hat, her expression completely arrested on his own.
"I wouldn't worry, you silly, sweet bear." She continued to supply, speaking in a voice Eclipse would also realize she's likely used on him before they've arrived here. How familiar was Vanessa, Gregory, and Freddy with each other, he wondered as she elaborated with, "-Let's say this, and I hope it helps:
"There can be a bunch of you with the same faces and characteristics, but you know you're special because your experiences make you who you are. YOU are the culmination of experience itself; and no other bot or person out there can share that with you. Your reactions, your emotions, and what you feel towards certain situations are uniquely tailored thanks to how you grow and receive those feelings in life. Programmed or not, your truths are how you take them; and not everybody perceives the same truths the same way. In hindsight, even if there is more of you guys out there-"
She waved around and continued her work, "-They wouldn't ever be like you at heart. They may be programmed to have some of the same traits you do, but they don't have they same nuances to their emotions as you would now. You guys have been through hell and back here, and it shaped you in a way that would naturally and organically make you into something entirely new. I can assure you that what happened at this PizzaPlex was certainly... unique... even if there were other megaplexes out there. Freddy-"
She looked him in the eyes as she said, "Remember what I said about your Bonnie being so... you know. Different? I truly meant that: I bet no other Bonnie out there was half as smart or crazy as your buddy was. Your Bonnie is in a league of his own with that weird resilience of his. Other Bonnies out there didn't have to fight a war with Vanny and deal with the same crap your friend did. His experience literally would've carved him out to be different from the masses of him that likely exist. He was pushed through different extremes that no other Bonnie would've been able to withstand. Its hardened him into something beyond a basic musician; he evolved and became more complex than the sum of his parts-
She waved at Eclipse now, "And the same can be said about ALL of you: You've been through pain and suffering, but its toughened you into something sturdier than a typical mascot could ever measure up to. You are your best selves now thanks to your experiences being unique to you. Nobody can EVER truly take your experience from you. Do you get what I'm kinda going with this?"
The bear said nothing to this, but there did seem to be a shift in his expression. Eclipse meanwhile continued fiddling with his twitchy limbs, then he said, "And... what if there's other me's? What can you say about that?"
"Those other yous don't have a Cassie to reboot them. No other Eclipse out there would know a Cassie quite like the sweet girl who saved you from moon's madness. You are your best self now because of that kindness. Your experience here, albeit terrible, wasn't ALL that bad now if endured with the right company, right? That's more than what your other selves can ever say. Your friends and the people who care about you aren't shared with those other versions. They likely wouldn't know how complex their life really can be if there's no one there to show them the right way."
"...Huh," Eclipse hung his face-plate there.
Gregory was grinning now, then he said to Freddy, "I guess that answers your question! Remember that time we visited the warehouse here together? And all I can say was 'its not good for your programming'-? Guess you're still art, in another way!"
"I... I- Yes, I suppose so? Any other me's wouldn't have a Gregory or a Vanessa to save their life," Freddy smiled back, finally. "And for that, I am truly a lucky bear. Whose to say they may actually dislike people too? I know I certainly do not feel that way."
"There you go, yeah," Vanessa smirked. "Any other Glam Freddies may actually be evil."
"Totally evil, sure," Gregory shrugged. "And they may not have a crazy Bonnie or Chica at their sides. They may have a Mr. HIPPO as their bassist instead!"
There was a fake shudder from the boy, prompting a soft smirk from the ursine in particular.
Eclipse won't lie; when he'd gone into Parts & Services earlier (as well as the padded room so he could set it up for Cassie), he'd been on a downward spiral with the idea that maybe he too could've had other variations- he never said anything aloud though; seeing as his concern had lie with Cassie at the time. But hearing this now helped him, a little.
Not too much, but a little.
Back to the matter at hand, Gregory was seen dragging out a... what was that? He didn't know, but it was a large black box with prongs on it and... he had no clue what it was but it reminded him of a battery. The boy had a hard time with it though; so Eclipse bent to pick it up-
"OH CIRCUITS. What IS that?" He quacked as he held it. It was so heavy!
"Car battery! You guys can apparently run on it," Gregory happily supplied.
"Car batteries... we can... run on?" He echoed back.
"Yuh-huh! See those prongs there? You guys can get jumped- oh, you're still confused. Um... you can get a charge off those prongs with a couple of wires. Help us turn Freddy over, and you'll see!"
The battery was... wow. Wasn't he just a short while ago wanting to see the outside world and lamenting not knowing a way out? And yet these guys show up with literally everything they needed? Between the batteries, food, and medic kits (alongside Freddy's head and the woman's magical duffle bag of wonders), literally Vanessa and Gregory looked like a god-sent omen from on high.
Eclipse nodded, then helped turn the bear over and propped him up on the wall. Then, he saw Vanessa take a pair of thick cables from the duffle and attach them to the bear's endo inside his chest cavity. She removed the weird, warped, and slightly crushed present within his belly; handed it to Gregory, and placed the car battery where the present had been. Then, she took the ends of the wires and attached them to the battery in his core-
Freddy JUMPED. Literally, the motion had him jerking enough to startle Eclipse into jumping back with Gregory out of defense. The boy yelped; then sputtered, "I-Its fine! Put me down already! He's fine!"
The bear moved- then, he was on his feet in a second despite the battery in his belly. In fact, he was wearing the biggest, DOPIEST grin ever. "I feel INCREDIBLE," He told them with a vigor that seemed contagious. "Like I won't lose a charge for- wow. Perhaps a day? More?"
"A DAY?" Eclipse garbled.
"Yes! Wanna shot at it?" Freddy chirped at him blithely, motioning at the battery in his belly. "It has some KICK. It kind of makes you a little happy?"
Vanessa and Gregory snorted with bemusement. The attendant meanwhile waved his hands in the negative. He still knew too little to try anything yet.
"Perfect," Vanessa now grinned. She didn't remove the battery from him, instead putting her tools away and standing up to meet the attendant at eye-level. "Now we can get going and grab Cassie ASAP! Eclipse, can you take us to her? We can get her some care-"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" He shook his hands in the negatory, frowning at Vanessa specifically. "I still hadn't forgotten what you've done! And while I love the idea of letting you just walk out with Cassie to get her the help she desperately needs- I have no way of knowing if your intentions are all good! Supplies or no!"
"Wha- Really-?" Gregory started with an annoyed expression.
The attendant snapped his hand over to the boy, "Yes- really! You BOTH started a heck of a lot of trouble when you were here! This place looks like this thanks to you TWO! And now that I think about it-" He glared at the woman. "Weren't you trying to hurt this boy before while you were dressed in a white bunny suit? Oh yes! Moon remembers that! Don't look at me like that! I'm just suspicious you could be planning on hurting the rest of us so thoroughly after what you've done!"
He jabbed a long-boned finger at the woman now, who raised her hands in submission, "Before Roxy and I can pass her care off to someone else, I need to be sure you don't plan on hurting her further like you've apparently once intended with Gregory! AND I'd like to know if Freddy here is even himself! I know you were the one who messed up Moon and hacked the rest of us!"
"But that's just it-" Freddy planted a bare paw to the remains of his chest plate, interjecting rather loudly. "I am me! I can prove it too! I am NOT hacked!"
"Let us run a brief diagnostic on your system at Parts & Service- which will take two minutes, and then we'll see," The attendant stubbornly asserted, arms folded. "I want to be absolutely sure you're not being controlled!"
"Done," Freddy snapped vehemently. He was already turning to scoop up the supplies; throwing them over his shoulders in a flash. He bumbled a couple of things; his fingers fighting him for trouble for a second thanks to the damage in his connectors. He helped Vanessa to her feet after that, briefly eyeing her for any injuries. He added, "We'll be taking Cassie, you, and the others out of here. I PROMISE. No more rotting away here! No more loneliness, no more sadness! No more."
The bear's words... no, his tone. There was something sharp, barbed, and authoritarian about it that startled Eclipse- something unheard of. The sound had a finality to it that silenced everyone present; including himself.
Eclipse twiddled his fingers, not sure as to what to say here after a point. He could only gesticulate to the exit, "Then... I guess you can follow me. The path to Parts & Service is not how you will remember it so, you will need me to give you a detour. Too many paths are caved in. Cassie's resting where we need to go anyways. Roxy may be back by now too- so, I need to warn you ahead of time: she may not be in a good mood with any of you- especially you-" He pointed at Gregory.
The boy flapped his mouth like a beached fish at him, "You're kidding? MAN she can hold a grudge!"
"Let me deal with her," Freddy held his paw up to Gregory placatingly. He also had his turn to get into the attendant's face next, "There will be no more of this senseless madness and violence. This I swear." His face was a bit damaged; although it looked like there'd been some attempts at repairing his friendly mug. But here, Eclipse couldn't help but notice the weird lack of lip line over some teeth and how it gave Freddy a terrifying, fierce look to go with his militant gait.
The bear turned and fixed the packs over both his shoulders; waiting for Eclipse to take the lead out. His ears wiggled a couple times, eyes unblinking as they went to leave.
Eclipse wasn't entirely sure about them still. Even now, he wondered if he should be doing SOMETHING to Vanessa- he just didn't trust her... but Gregory was seen grabbing the woman's hand once or twice, looking up at her with excitement and concern intermingling while she grabbed his hand back and squeezed like he meant something to her. The observation had the former daycare attendant rightfully confused.
Guess we'll see who you really are before long, miss, he wondered internally.
They stepped out into the atrium, the attendant checking his internal map and contacts to see if Roxy had been on the move. From what he can see, Roxy was actually close by. Literally moving towards the bowling alley right above them.
The attendant looked up once, but didn't see them through the obvious hunk of floor in-between them. He didn't want Vanessa near Cassie yet either- not until Freddy was checked out and virus or hack-free. He didn't let any of his current party know that literally just one floor above, Roxy and Cassie was about to walk into the bowling alley to find Bonnie. The wolf had messaged him about it not too long ago.
"Tell me something," Freddy began again in the silence that followed. He looked at Eclipse directly, his expression solemn. "How is... did you see Chica? Or Monty-?"
"Cassie's seen Monty... I don't wish to say this, Freddy, but Monty's gone. Cassie can confirm this too-" Eclipse gauged the bear's expression quite carefully. It seemed earnest. "He was in some water when a power surge reignited a neon sign and electrocuted him. He didn't surface again, according to her."
The bear stopped for that second; his chin dropping to the tattered shards of his chest and his gruesome, weirdly realistic bear teeth briefly visible. He continued to walk after that; unable to look anyone directly in the face as he asked next, "...And Chica?"
"...Roxy sent me a not-so-great message about her. When we get to Parts & Services, you'll see. But it won't be pretty. Chica's resting right now... but it doesn't look good for her."
The sound that escaped the bear had everyone looking up in shock; the sound something like a hollowed-out whine that grated and rasped like a metal pole over concrete. It was an AWFUL noise.
"...Can I ask... and dare I say it..." He cautiously ventured next. "But... Bonnie?"
"...How do you know about him?"
"Bonnie's sending a signal. M.X.E.S picked it up," Gregory supplied in reply to long-limbed attendant.
"...What's a M.X.E.S?" Eclipse scratched at his face-plate.
"Its a security program Greg and me were working on to help try and keep this... thing, sealed here," Vanessa replied this time. She pointed to the labtop Freddy carried, "We've been needing it to run damage control here and there. It's actually what helped me hack into Freddy's body just a bit ago. Sounds like there's a lot of explaining to do on all sides. Anyways, about Bonnie-" She trailed off uncertainly at the end noticeably.
Eclipse couldn't fight the frown he wore; his sharp bi-colored eyes briefly fixed onto the woman and unrelenting in their trajectory. He said rather stiffly, "That data is pending. I don't know anything about him myself beyond the fact Cassie says he's sending out some sort of distress signal and he needs to be fixed. Roxy is likely going to grab him-" He didn't want to say Cassie was going along with her either at this exact moment RIGHT above them. Not yet.
Vanessa definitely looked worried now. Why did that satisfy Eclipse?
"She shouldn't... oh dear. You guys need to seriously rethink that," she hurriedly raised up her hands while shaking her head.
"And why so?" He folded his arms and got right into her face.
"Because he's dangerous, unhinged and violently unpredictable. And he doesn't give a DAMN about collateral," she ticked off on her fingers. "And did I also mention, blood-thirsty?"
"Excuse me, but WHAT is this ludicrous blasphemy you are spouting-" Freddy rightfully pressed. Now he looked at Vanessa like she was crazy- making the woman snort at him. "I believe you didn't mention that last part before? Also, I cannot believe that! Goodness gracious... BONNIE BUNNY. Bloodthirsty! Why is that hilarious?" He waved it off with one of those weird laughs following, even blowing a RASPBERRY at her like everything she just said was a stupid joke, "Don't be absurd!"
Gregory's eyes were on Vanessa again, the boy's expression pensive. Eclipse wondered about his opinion of her and their general relationship. Guess this was his time to know- he can watch them for a while, at least.
Vanessa went on, "Anyways, I SERIOUSLY wouldn't recommend that Cassie wakes him up. He won't hurt her, but- I dunno. We should focus on Chica first, I think. She's in dire need."
Eclipse kept his arms folded as he watched her, then slid Freddy a look. It seemed the bear didn't believe her too much either... huh. Guess he may just be himself! Vanessa's reluctance about Bonnie struck him as odd though- and not for the obvious reasons.
"What did you do to him?" Eclipse pointedly jabbed, clearly fishing. He didn't remember everything; as Vanessa (Vanny... Its VANNY, he recalled) had scrambled their memories at the time.
"He... he did it to himself. After a point," she only told them simply. "That personality flip- that was all him."
"That's exactly what a KILLER would say!" The bot snapped back.
"No- you don't understand-" she held up her hands in submission, "He's been rearranging his behaviors on a whim- Surely Freddy noticed?" She was giving the bear an imploring look. "You remember he was acting strange in his last weeks, don't you?"
Freddy was indeed passing her an uncertain expression, unable to deny this portent. Even Eclipse had to admit, Sun and Moon were in agreement of this observation from inside his mind. So to see the bear so clearly unable to deny the portent here wasn't very reassuring either.
"Bonnie was... yes, definitely and noticeably acting a bit... erratically in his last days," Freddy admitted in a dispirited tone. "He stopped communicating with us; completely stopped showing up for rehearsals. He made Chica and I worry greatly. I think I recall addressing this with him, now that I dawn back on it. He assured me that he was fine."
The woman hummed, "Then you guys understand what I mean? That he may not be safe for ANYONE to be around-"
Freddy produced a profound snort, "Be that as it may, Vanessa... I will not let Bonnie rot here all alone anymore when we got to rescue both him and everyone else. Changed or not, I will save him and help him to see that this world need not stay so small and dark." There was a pained, but certain smile in place as he added, "I cannot, in my right frame of mind, ignore my bestest buddy and other half to my soul. You understand?"
The woman inhaled gustily. She said in a beleaguered mutter, "-'There's no Freddy if there's no Bonnie or Chica'. Yeah, I know."
"Exactly. Now with that said-" He placed a paw to his exposed mandible. "You are right about one other thing: Chica needs help first. Bonnie's still er... 'asleep', and Roxy seems to be taking care of Cassie. So it leaves our paws free to help our friends as needed! And then we can all sit down and talk peacefully about what's going on-" He lifted his talons and made a walking gesture with his middle and index, "-And walk right out this place with no more issue beyond dealing with this Mimic creature! Am I clear?"
"...You know about the Mimic?" Eclipse queried.
"You know about the-? GEEZ. Seems we all gotta get talking," Gregory sighed. He stared at the attendant now, "Please don't tell me you ran into it?"
"No... but Roxy had," Eclipse grimly reciprocated. "It violently beat her within an inch of her life and chased Cassie down. Cassie was barely able to get away and come back for Roxy to reactivate her. They'd have to give details."
"Yup... definitely gotta talk about this," The boy huffed; blowing hair up out of his face.
Vanessa all the while wouldn't meet anyone's eyes, no doubt her mind back on the rabbit in question. Eclipse still wasn't sure what to expect here, but something about it unsettled him. He wasn't gong to lie; he knew Vanessa was a lying, cheating, horrible, vile wretch who once caused a lot of mayhem- but even Moon wouldn't deny that Bonnie's behavior was a little strange after a point. He supposed indeed, there was more than just talking to do.
He just hoped that whatever caused that expression on Vanessa's face right now wasn't something they'd actually have to deal with when it comes time to wake the rabbit up from whatever grave he rotted in.