Sometime during the PizzaPlex's prime-
Final Day.
GLAMROCK BONNIE
In the wake of Night 4. Time stamp is roughly around 10 in the morning.
The look on Freddy's face never left his mind.
But Bonnie meant it: He quit. He didn't know how he's going to do it, but he officially quit- And no doubt his treacherous words will reach management. He HOPED it did. He had no intention of playing anymore for people who kill children for entertainment purposes- who went above and beyond in their fanatical ways to make the animatronics as life-like as possible. Bonnie didn't want to give them credit, but they achieved it in the case of the Glamrocks.
Still, the final question remained: Was he truly an A.I as much as he liked to believe, or was he some restless soul lost in this mortal coil whose bound to a metal body? Was he perhaps both? Bonnie prayed he was just A.I and not anything else. And with how far technology has gone in the decades past, its possible that that was the truth in his case.
However, the intrusive plausibility that he was a person killed to become a bunny bot bassist was so twisted he didn't dare want to entertain it- no pun intended. He didn't want to think that maybe, he HAD a human life, or he was a child in any way. He didn't FEEL like he'd been one. Had he been an adult man who was killed by accident? Did he see too much and Fazbear Entertainment said 'fuck you' and knocked him off like Gordon and Mendez? Had he have any children like they did? Did he have a LIFE and he just can't remember it?
This was so maddening he felt he was going to puke again- and again, he wished he had a gut to use so he can relieve that awful sensation. Making his compressor work was already proving hard- was that what strangulated lungs feel like?
Even then, he just didn't want to think about it more- but that's all he's been doing since he returned to his room last night. He spent so much of his life trying to become an actualized 'person'- to learn to be someone with a heart and complex feelings. He was still A.I at his core, no doubt about that- but the fact he could've had a life before this one mingled wrong with the concept of being an A.I. It's clear that he shouldn't have learned about this at ALL. The paranormal, the spectral, the intangible; it simply clashed with his logistical side and how he was raised.
It still didn't eliminate the chance that his FRIENDS could've been people either- and that scared him. All of this scared him. Scared, and scarred.
And the lack of KNOWING was wedging nails into his power box.
He banged his head on his wall several times; unable to do much else but think in the time he's locked HIMSELF into his own room. He's been in here since maybe 1 or 2 AM last night- and it's nearing noon now. And in all that time he'd spent in here, he's been trying to absorb what he's seen. He's clawed the walls; and he didn't even remember doing it. He ripped his plushies apart and scattered their pieces all over his floor. He turned over his vanity and punched holes into his chair- He didn't touch any of the Freddy stuff though. He had enough sense to leave his Freddy merch alone.
He only stopped when he had to charge. He went to his back room and banged his head on the porthole window sometimes in the few minutes he'd be in the pod. He mouthed swears and obscenities to himself; begging and praying and wishing he was JUST an A.I and not some boy or man who lost out on an entire life thanks to greed.
He had family now... He had Freddy, Chica, Roxy, and Monty. Those kids he's come to know loved him for who he is. Not WHAT he is or who he WAS can change that. That was his only saving grace; and the only reason why he didn't start clawing his own innards out.
Vanny was right. He didn't want to admit it, but she was right in knowing this truth twisted a knife into his nonexistent heart and wrenched it something fierce. The pain was hot and wild; and it was so powerful he thought he could FEEL it. His talons went to his scratched breast plate; tips touching the hinge to the opening mechanism where his collar bone should be. He pulled there sometimes; wishing there was fabric there to tear into. He scoured smooth surface; claws dragging at his neck as if the cold metal chassis he wore was a physical and tangible curse he had to shoulder- a choker chain clenching tightly around his nonexistent esophagus.
He had to admit, he hated being a metal shell with expensive, fancy parts and pre-programmed feelings.
He felt so fake.
He struggled with the alien concept of organic thoughts and worries; who pondered once being organic. A bot who thought himself organic in every other emotional aspect despite being a individual with a disposable metal body- who could be recreated over and over. He couldn't keep playing at this farce however- not without driving himself into further madness.
Did he have a family before? Had he ever BEEN anyone else before? Was he, the bot, all that ever was? Was he truly special? If Bonnie was a mass-produced character, how many other souls in other parts of the world were sacrificed for it? How different were these other Bonnies in other PizzaPlex's? Did they think the same way he did? Was he truly an exemplar rabbit and not just some cosmic, token joke?
The fact that he could've had flesh and blood kin killed him. More than he figured it would. Did it explain his weird attachment to Cassie? Or to those other children? The heartbroken pang he felt every time he saw a child walk out the door and never come back again? Did it explain why he could understand, even on a rudimentary level, how others truly felt? Was his sense of empathy, in fact, a curse?
While inside his recharge station, his eyes blearily took in the blank walls of the back room behind his actual Green room. He breathed; struggling to perceive the fact that maybe he actually had LUNGS once. He only simulated breathing; but the effect seemed believably real when steam rose and hit the glass window of his recharge station. He drew in it's fogged surface until it vanished. His eyes blinked out of sync; his limbs sometimes shaking as he struggled to steady his hand.
His feelings whenever he stood near children... those were genuine. He knew that wasn't programmed into him. He's been rearranging his priorities left and right; but the one constant he's had up until now was the paternal desire to embrace all the tots who hugged him. Once again, the image of his talons in Cassie's coconut hair returned; remembering the feel of the girl as she leaned against him and placed all her unbridled, sacred trust into him- despite being what Herman said: An 8-foot delusional monster jackrabbit buck with mad march hare crazies.
He continued drawing in his little window; his ears picking up the times his friends- no, his family, prodded his door and beseeched him to open up. He's remotely locked it; hacking the rudimentary chip in his door that accepted photo passes and forcing it to glitch and seal. He didn't want to look at them yet- not while he felt like this. Not when he felt so unpredictable. As much as he wanted to sit in their arms and weep with them, he couldn't be seen by them yet. Just not yet.
He felt so awful, it was dizzying. He wanted to vomit, and to vomit out everything he's ever ate in his life and pray the effect made him feel better.
Once again his head hit the station's door; his forehead cracking it eventually. It didn't relent; and the crack itself was hairline. Bonnie breathed over and over; struggling endlessly for the last few hours to finish absorbing the fact that his entire life was just one fleeting, cruel joke- whether or not he'd been flesh and blood or metal and screw.
He's never been anything but their toy, either way.
And that's all he'll ever be.
He stayed in the recharge station for a long time. Probably several hours. He hadn't checked the time for the last while. He'd cut himself off from the server- Vanessa or Vanny or whoever hadn't done that. He literally locked himself out of the server so he wasn't tempted to mess with anything in the server itself- to dig up any possible proof he could be more or less than what he hoped to be.
He was a toy to them. But not to Cassie and those other kids. He knew they loved him. His friends loved him. He was loved.
That was all he had.
In the wake of Night 4. Time stamp is unknown currently- hazarded at 6 in the evening. Bonnie has been locked in his room 15 and a half hours at least.
A security camera pinged movement; Bonnie frowning and huffing in a manner rather labored when there was movement detected by his door. Someone had unlocked it- using a photo pass at first, but then realizing it's bugged and eventually getting a technician to help open it up for him.
He knew who entered his shattered domain.
And he was in no mood for anymore games.
His large ears swiveled; catching the steps of someone crossing carpet in his Green room before they moved to the private back room. He didn't open his eyes; not having the mental fortitude to look at the wall anymore. He'd been focusing on his Hud internally; rearranging whatever else he hadn't touched in his programming. He'd felt attempts for the technicians to reach him from Parts and Service already; all had been locked out. He also left the camera in his room enabled; knowing Vanessa had been the one to notice that, after tearing his room apart, he hadn't deigned to return to it once he went to his recharge station this morning.
Bonnie felt... he felt something odd about himself right now. He was still trying to parse it out; but this was the closest to physical pain he's ever truly experienced. Even though there wasn't anything in his stomach hatch, it had the imaginary feeling of someone wailing on his guts over and over with fists made of concrete- literally being gut punched constantly. His motor skipped; the cylinders in him spinning and jerking irregularly. He sincerely didn't feel good; as if he could imagine he was in a flesh body and he WAS throwing up everything he's ever eaten in his life- PLUS his own entrails.
He'd never felt so beaten.
"Bonnie? Hello," Said he.
The rabbit growled; the noise FAR less like a true lagomorphic creature and more akin to something 10 times its size and with far sharper teeth- which wasn't untrue in a sense here. Bonnie can indeed not only growl, but it had the weird, strange feeling in his breast plate that vibrated like the rolling rumble of a big cat's building wrath. Being literally 20 times larger than your actual animal inspiration will do that.
He opened one maroon eye; glaring at the manager with all his heart and soul from beyond the glass port. If that man knew what was good for him, he'd leave right now.
But no, he didn't seem to know- or at least, he gave the illusion of ignorance as he stood before the station with his hands behind his back; one brow raised. "Bonnie Bounder. Get out here."
Bounder. Man he forgot he had a MIDDLE NAME. How weird was that? Bunny was generic for a rabbit, as it referred to an entire species- but Bounder was personal. He never remembered having it used on him before- until now. It was like he was being summoned.
The rabbit stared into the man before him; his paws curling into fists as he stepped out into the room for the first time in several hours. He resisted the temptation to sock him in the face; as he despised the sound of his personal name being used like its a slanderous term. Bonnie Bunny were the names of the older purple rabbit- but Bounder was his. It belonged to the Glamrock himself, and he alone. He supposed there's some validation in it- not that he found much significance in it.
He almost bit the man's head off- but refrained from doing so as he said in the most deferential tone possible, "Sir."
"Bonnie, good evening. Nice of you to join the living," the manager started.
He didn't respond.
The man sighed, hands still folded primly behind his back as he started to leave- heading towards Bonnie's Green room. The rabbit followed automatically; his gaze unblinking as he watched his superior stop in the middle of the darkened room near where the camera was-
Oh. He must've had someone watching them. And if he's going to talk, he's going to do it in a supervised environment. Cute.
"You know," he began, his tone seemingly neutral and patient. Emphasis on 'seemingly'. "The techs have been asking for you- said they've been pinging you but you wouldn't respond. You're due for maintenance, and have been for weeks. You've refused, I see."
Bonnie still didn't open his mouth. His fists stayed curled at his sides.
He went on, "And, I told you about the collateral damage... the glass panels at the winner's circle in the Raceway are replaced now, but you know... it had to come out of someone else's pocket."
Like I care.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Bonnie said aloud instead, hating the mechanical, autonomous sound of his own voice. It had no inflection in it; just straight nothing.
The manager raised a brow at him, no doubt noticing the lack of sensation or reading of his reply. Humans needed inflection to get a good check on who they're dealing with- but Bonnie's lack of proper, organic display no doubt befuddled him. Good. Bonnie wanted to keep him guessing.
"You're definitely not well, Bonnie. Why not go relax? Head to Parts and Services. Freddy's already visited this morning and he's ready for the show later tomorrow. You are a sight to behold with that nick in your ear and the scratches." He blinked when he saw Bonnie's neck; the rabbit looked like he'd attempted to strangle himself but failed half-way. He slowly added on in a thoughtful manner, his onyx eyes arrested on the area, "...You ah... could get a buff out of it... yeah. A buff. And some new chassis."
"Hm...No thanks. I'm good here."
"..'No?'"
"No, sir," said the rabbit, correcting himself.
"...Bonnie, you need to clean up. Now I don't want to urge you, but you have to so to be ready for tomorrow. I've wanted to get us back on schedule, you know. Its been a bit."
"And I said-" Bonnie leaned in, his steam clouded breath hot on the manager's face, "...'No'."
"Why neglect your health? I'm afraid I don't understand," He asked, his tone shifted though; and for some reason, Bonnie found the weird, terse stiff way it was delivered absolutely hilarious.
The rabbit inhaled, chest expanding out and falling in in one measured motion. "I know exactly what you want, sir. And frankly, I don't want it. I don't want you scrubbing my brain clean of the last few hours." His smile came, cruel and cold as he said candidly, "You removed the contents of that location from Freddy, I wager. And once I head to Parts and Services, you're hoping to do the same for me. No thanks, I'm all good here." He spread out his arms like he was expecting an embrace, "I couldn't be better! More... enlightened, I believe is the right wording."
The manager's expression flickered- briefly darkening but it was gone as quick as it came. He continued his smile, his patient posturing a grievance to the bassist. "I'm sorry, my friend. But I believe you're getting a little too long in the ears, no? Nothing bad with some light trims. You'll feel better."
"I beg to differ, sir. And now that I dawn back on it," Bonnie put a contemplative paw to his chin. "Didn't you say you had a trip planned a couple days ago? And yet you're standing here chastising me for skipping on the bot docs?"
"I did, but I've been getting 'urgent' calls regarding your behavior," The manager went on ever so placidly. "Besides the damage to the winner's circle, I hear tell you've been destroying someone else's property?"
Another acidic grin, "But sir! I'm a rocker, am I not? Aren't we supposed to party hard and break expensive things sometimes? Kinda part of the whole gimmick."
The man's face shifted to wooden; leaning in somewhat as if tipping his head at something, "And while that is true, I'm afraid there's lines to be drawn, Bonnie Bounder. We don't want scrap where there's progress, you know? And speaking of which-" He meandered around Bonnie a little bit; taking in the sight of the ripped up couch. "I don't wish to say this, but, keep this up, keep disrupting the shows and not showing up to rehearsal, then we'll have to make Monty the new bass player permanently. It'd be a shame to do that."
"Let 'em have the lime-light," Bonnie held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm kinda tired of the stage, to be honest. I don't want any part of this farce anymore. I quit as of this morning."
"You can't... 'quit', you know. Quitting means being decommissioned, and you don't need me to tell you what that means," The manager continued levelly.
Bonnie's smile was endless, "I've never been afraid of dancing, sir. And dancing with the mistress in black? It actually sounds sexy. Although I gotta say..." He bobbed his shoulders, "The missus in 'off-white' though... she's been an interesting and gripping partner. Makes me wanna try new things, yunno? Think I'll branch out."
The manager didn't react to the bait- not that Bonnie expected it. He merely went on with, "Bonnie, I'm giving you one more chance: I don't want you scrapped. You are a popular bot here- but despite said popularity, it won't save you from being deactivated at this rate. You Glamrocks are expensive to maintain. And if you're not going on with the show and making back the money that went into fixing you... you get turned off. For good. We can't afford to keep you around if you're going to insist on quitting."
Bonnie chortled, then leaned in and said with a lop-sided grin, "And?"
"You really insist on this?"
"And?"
The manager huffed, then looked at the camera. Did Bonnie imagine him nodding at it? "Well, then I hate to say- as of right now, you are officially off the band and under lock-down until you change your mind by tomorrow morning. Or, you get deactivated and sent for salvage by noon the next day. I'm sorry, but this is final."
Bonnie folded his arms casually in answer, his smile immortal on his dirty face.
The manager went towards the door; then went to pull it open- only to realize, he couldn't. The man blinked again, then tried once more before calmly turning towards Bonnie. "Mr. Bounder," He sighed in this long drawl. "Are we really doing this? I know you can hack it. Stop this childish behavior. You're being impudent."
"Oh! I'm being impudent now?"
The man didn't answer, his stare hardening. "Open. The door," was all he said.
Bonnie cackled; then, he waved a dismissive hand at the camera. He didn't break their eye contact as he did; the camera's red light blinking off. The manager blinked and glanced at it. Apparently he didn't know Bonnie had access to it. The rabbit kept his curtains shut too; so his room was a special brand of darkness as Bonnie kept snickering to himself like he was telling himself a fantastic joke.
Now, the manager's face broke its immaculate mask; favoring a slight raise in the other brow too. He glanced at the door once, then back at Bonnie.
Bonnie, still smiling, waved at him; then started pointedly checking out his claws.
The manager didn't move, he only said, "Hello? Darius? You still there?"
"Oh, don't bother," Bonnie purred. "I pinged the man's watch in the time you were giving me that little spiel about deactivating me. He went home early for the day already- I see his shift has gone on... ew, 14 hours. The poor dude really needed a break and go home to his family. Wanna try security instead?" His smile widened, "I think little Vanessa could give it a swing. She still got that taser? You should tell her to bring it down here."
The man's face finally broke character; blanching slowly and slowly still as he tried the door again. Still no movement. He lifted his wrist- beeping his own watch and murmuring into it, "Hello? Officer Vanessa? Do you hear me?"
Bonnie's grin started to stretch past his own muzzle.
"Vanessa- Vanessa! Do you not hear me," he started in a more urgent tone. He glanced at Bonnie again, who patiently shuffled upon his footing and flashed his claws at him. The manager swore this time, then banged on the door, "Freddy! Freddy! Roxanne! Any of you! Get this door open!"
Bonnie checked his claws, turning them over and sizing up the tips. He started humming this time; one ear cocked towards the other. "Okay, so," he eventually said at length. "You uh... wanna try something else? I'm giving you a chance to do anything else here. Cuz I think its fair to let you know, that whatever staff you have around isn't really near enough so they can be here on the fly or make a difference. Yunno?"
The man banged on the door, and with increased force. He muttered something unintelligible, fighting a growing need to whimper all the while.
"Oh! So, you're not someone who fancies not getting his suit dirty? You let everyone else deal with your shit. Honestly, considering the kind of sordid business practices you're into... I'm surprised you don't wear a tux made of human skin! Vanny tells me its trendy. I mean, show biz has always been dirty but... come on, man. I didn't think you were that prim and proper! You keep dipping your filthy mitts into the affairs as it is."
He shoulder-rammed this door; then he glared up at Bonnie with a face full of rage and varying other inflections that made Bonnie smirk wider.
So said the rabbit, "Okay okay. So, I'm giving you... eh, one more minute? Yeah, one more minute here to figure out how to get out of my room. Do that, and maybe I won't-" He leaned in, passing him an ever-so cheeky and self-satisfied smirk, "-Pluck out your intestines, dry them out over a rack in the kitchens, strip them down, and see if I can use them as replacement bass strings. Been wondering about a new sound for the good ol' backbeat, eh?"
The man dodged around the rabbit, heading towards his back room. Bonnie leaned on the wall and listened coolly; inhaling smoothly as he strained to catch if his friends were awake. Didn't seem like it. And if they were, Chica was likely hovering around the kitchens again- Roxy was hovering around the raceway, and Freddy may be sleeping after having his head cleared of this morning.
It hurt Bonnie that Freddy won't remember what they encountered- the words they exchanged. But he supposed in hindsight, that was fine- mayhaps preferable in this case. Perhaps before he saw the rabbit woman tonight, he could stop by his friend's room for one more hug. He felt they both needed it.
He chortled when he heard the manager rip at the vent grate in the recharge room. Seems he realized the elevator door leading to Parts and Services was out the question too.
"I won't be making it past tonight," he said aloud to the manager. "I'm aware of the fact you've already premeditated having me shut off despite what you told me a few minutes ago. Monty will be the next big thing. I know. He's got the swagger and the looks! And he's a cool dude- its hard to disagree with that." He combed his talons through his hair, hearing as the manager got a nail free of the vent. Bonnie shrugged at that, "You wager Vanny will give me a nice final dance tonight? I saw her dance; she's pretty good! I like the special, slow way she moves. Kinda has a mesmerizing sway to it. Could stand to learn a thing or two from that."
Bonnie's smirk remained when the door to his green room had a knock on it.
"Sir! Do you hear me? SIR!"
"Speak of the devil- Hiya Vanessa!" Bonnie called through it. "Don't worry, the manager here is just giving me a pep talk, is all. Hey, mind letting your white-furred friend know tonight is on?" He threw a piece of his couch at the door; sealing it further, his smile now completely cemented on his face. "Cuz I had a little something planned for her tonight. Be a dear and let her know for me, 'kay? Thanks!"
He grinned as he slid into the back room; Vanessa screaming at his door for another solid minute before she'd eventually concede that getting in on time was a lost cause. Bonnie knew because she went silent not too long after trying his door. Looks like even she didn't seem to care about this man too much- that or it was the former.
Ah well. If he was going to party tonight, it might as well be a night to remember. And he aimed to make it a special brand of loud-
Starting with his whimpering, sobbing sack of wasted flesh standing on a stack of boxes, still trying to get the vent grate off.
Night 5. Time stamp is 12:24 am. Security Report: East towards the atrium.
Well, he could've made that a bit cleaner.
He sealed his recharge station room by messing with its lock. After doing so, he left his Green room behind and sealed that too. He knew he wouldn't be revisiting it again- after all, the manager had been rather clear about their intentions moving forward: Show business was cut-throat, and Bonnie was old news. Monty was in, he was out. Simple. And its something the rabbit was completely fine with-
Though he knew his friends wouldn't agree.
He inhaled, checking his still very scratched body over as he moved slowly from his room and started to pass his friends' chambers. He found the silence in each rather odd. His large ears twitched in the direction of each; leaving Bonnie to somewhat wonder what they were up too. He didn't hear Chica shredding, or Roxanne trying to motivate herself; or Freddy playing his arcade cabinet. Were they trying Merry-Go-Cade elsewhere? He would've thought he'd get the memo, but he hadn't been pinged.
He briefly stopped in front of Roxanne's door; leaning an ear against it. Nope, not in there. She could probably be in rest mode in her station, but the recharge cycle was hourly... and right now, it wasn't the time for it. So strange- especially since Bonnie thought he'd be hearing her talking to herself again. Blinking confusedly, he took out his watch again and checked the messages. He tilted his head; right ear flopping heavily as he reread the last thing Vanny sent:
"Tonight's game is basic. Who can catch who first. Find me, or I find you. All gloves are off. I want to see you perform your best. Don't disappoint. Yours forever and ever, Vanny."
Bonnie harrumphed at the last words; no doubt she was making fun of him and Freddy's words for each other. Ah well. Because in all actuality, he agreed. She was his prey, forever and ever.
And he supposed, he was too.
Another inhalation, then he frowned at the door again. Guess he won't get any parting goodbyes with them. And if all gloves were off...
His eyes widened in his sockets; the rabbit bolting away to go find his friends. He had no doubt Vanny is using them today; and it seems like she truly wasn't going to hold anything back. Knowing her, it won't be long until he ran into the wrong end of his friend's claws.
His first destination was the atrium, and sure enough, he found something wrong with the sight of it: No S.T.A.F.F bots. No movement. Nothing.
Bonnie's ear caught the whir of a security camera as it moved on its axis. His slowly moved until he was looking at it in-turn; his nose twitching a million miles an hour. He stared into it, then said, "So, I guess its hide and seek, but with more players now? Is that what we're doing?"
No answer.
"I thought so. Okay. Guess I have some hunting to do- and its not just for you," He told the device ever so serenely. "Guess it woulda been boring if there was less players... figures."
He shook his head and moved on; flexing his ears as he went. He had to really listen; his mind focused on every single detail in the environment. It went from the ambient music, to the hum of the lights, and to the walls themselves: the rabbit trying to catch the moment he can hear the vents clanging. He was disappointed when he got nothing. Guess he'll have to search the attractions manually.
This won't be fun. Couldn't she have picked a better final game? What a dull way to go out.
Time stamp is 1:00 am. Fazerblast.
Why did he get the feeling Vanny set up something especially nasty here?
He was pretty dang diddly sure she wanted this to be as poetic as possible; and by that, he meant in all of their game, she'd wanted him moving across the PizzaPlex at least once. Grimly enough, it'd be like some final tour of his own home. Cute.
And he knew he hadn't checked Fazerblast in all the time they've been playing this game. He's been to Monty golf and the raceway, twice... and the Fazcade. He hadn't stayed long at the Super Starcade, the daycare, and the kitchens. He wagered he'll find his friends in some of these places, and it could help narrow down his search. All the while, he'll be listening for her, and hopefully catch Vanny before she does something really fucked.
He breathed, the cylinders in his motor skipping uneasily as he gazed around his best friend's most (biased) favored attraction. The noises from all the random beeps, boops, and starship humming was a bit grating, but he can deal with it. After all, Freddy had invited Bonnie to play here all the time! His only rule was just to make sure they don't accidentally hit each other in the faces with the blasters. Bonnie's shades had been hard to see with in this dark room, but a life-saver whenever Freddy's blaster went askew. The rabbit was never blinded by flash or the beams thanks to his so-called TACKY taste in eye wear. Ha, so much for that!
He sniffed; taking in a huge nose-ful of air and letting the smell linger on his olfactory sensors. His compressor whirled all the while; the rabbit's tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth. He tasted birthday cake with a hint of oranges after taking in the smell... Freddy was definitely in here.
"Fredster? Frederick Fredbear? Fred-fred-burger? Freddo!" He called, wondering if any of the pet names could work.
There's no way in hell Freddy can sneak up on Bonnie Bunny-
Until the music in the area kicked on.
Bonnie blinked a few times stupidly, then groaned audibly. "Seriously? We're doing this? Ah well! She said she wanted my best, so I guess I'll hafta give it," He harrumphed. He opened his stomach hatch; then slipped on his shades. "Game on," he said.
He heard the alien bots coming long before he saw them; and since he had no fazerblaster, he'd have to go all in bare-handed at first. His fists balled up; turning to gaze at a region over his shoulder as some of the alien themed S.T.A.F.F bots rolled in. He bared his teeth and raised his fists-
The bots were shooting right at his face- so it's a good call he'd put on his shades. He swung at one and knocked its head clean off; wrenching the fazerblaster from its grip and using it on the other bots nearby. He had to dodge out of the way of some of the other S.T.A.F.F bots though; as one seized his middle and tried clambering up his body to reach his face- They were trying to pull the shades off!
Bonnie, realizing just how valuable his eye wear was right now, ripped the bot off and hurled it over the walls of the arena. He rolled out of the way when a pair of them attempted to jump him. Growling, he grabbed another's head and forced it to the ground; shooting at its friends behind it. He then hurled the spent blaster and surged into another group of them; throwing limbs and heads around like the stuffed toys in his room. Every time he got a fazerblaster, he'd use it up until its spent; then he'd swap to his fists until he got a fresh blaster. Rinse and repeat.
All the while, the S.T.A.F.F bots tried ganging up on him at once. He noticed none tried rolling in by itself anymore after a point. They were just too weak and couldn't hope to measure up to a Glamrock. Some even forgone the blasters and straight JUMPED at him! Bonnie was tackled a couple times; but shook them off and rammed into a wall of them like a charging bull. Beneath his weight, the bots got pulverized and reduced to splintered metal shards. Hydraulic fluid sluiced out of them like a perverse parody of blood. He internally apologized to his best friend... as it seemed Freddy will have to clean this up in the morning after.
Speaking of which-
"Is that all you GOT?" He snarled at the cameras. "You gotta be yanking me with the stupid toys! They ain't got nuthin' on a REAL party bot who knows how to rock and rumble!"
No reply, but he suspected she may be laughing at him from behind the scenes. He snorted; steam clouding around his muzzle as he glanced around. Still no Freddy.
His ears heard it; a sound from above.
He blinked, then looked up. Fixing his glasses, he noticed the catwalk above the arena. He worked his jaw, flicking a contemplative ear at it as he heard more subtle noises from a region beyond his line of sight. He couldn't make them out- not over the beeping of the space-themed arena.
He flexed his ears again- then felt his pupils pin.
Her heart beat.
It was brief, but he thought he could almost hear it. Literally he had a dizzying amount of noise sparking around him; from the fallen bots to the music and the humming. But despite all that, he knew he heard her up there.
He grinned, and went to jump-
And was promptly tackled from behind.
He'd never heard him coming- but Freddy finally deigned to appear. The ursine's arms snagged Bonnie around his middle and hurled both to the floor. Bonnie's shades flew off; the rabbit kicking impulsively and no doubt nailing Freddy in the leg. Something bent beneath him; the bear crumbling when his knee caved in the wrong way.
Bonnie panicked, naturally. He hadn't meant to hit Freddy that hard! He rolled out from under him, then got to his feet and braced himself for another leap-
Only for the hacked bear to throw a S.T.A.F.F bot's body at him and botch the attempt. Bonnie snapped his jaws and turned around; slicing the bot's limp torso as it almost collided with him. It fell away around him; then he charged the bear.
Okay, since Vanny wanted to play dirty, he'll have to use his last means of defence for Freddy's sake. He'd been saving it for later, but he might as well use it now.
He charged into the orange titan and rolled; talons flying and both bots hitting walls with screaming swipes. Bonnie stayed on the defensive however; getting trapped beneath Freddy again and holding him off his own body. Freddy snapped his sickeningly realistic teeth; the fangs coming within inches to Bonnie's face. The rabbit however had his legs braced beneath the bear; using all the power he had in them to hurl Freddy away with enough force to stun him. Freddy couldn't get back up in a hurry, thanks to the busted knee.
"Sorry man! I'd help you fix it if I could," he told him- to which the ursine said nothing.
Freddy instead hurled another bot at him; and Bonnie did away with it as he had the others; he hacked it to pieces in mid-air. However, as it crumbled away, he was horrified to see Freddy had a blaster on him now. Bonnie registered this a hair too slow; and with Freddy's practiced aim, got nailed RIGHT in the eyes.
Bonnie stumbled backward into the wall; hitting a system restart and temporarily blanking out. He didn't hear Freddy coming; not with his ears shut off for a couple precious seconds. And yes, while Freddy was limping, he was still quick to cross distance.
Bonnie turned back on JUST as the bear reached him; his talons sinking right into his breast plate. Bonnie produced a grunt but was gladdened when the bear couldn't wrench his claws back out. Its not like Freddy's talons were like Monty's; and they didn't have the same amount of sharpness- not when he tended to hug and hold children more often.
Bonnie held the paw in place, head-butting the ursine once, twice, and three times. Both foreheads cracked; and on one occasion, Bonnie hit his nose. Freddy's biggest weak point in all the world; and its his NOSE. He actually yowled- his nose honking hilariously despite the severity of the fight. He was released by Bonnie and stumbled backward; a paw covering his sniffer protectively.
The rabbit took the chance he was afforded: he snagged a recharged fazerblaster and nailed Freddy in the face this time. The bear froze as expected, hitting a hard system restart as well. All the while he did that, Bonnie pulled out his fazwatch and ripped the screen off. He wouldn't be needing it after tonight anyways- so he may as well use the advantage now.
Freddy managed to just come out of the restart, only to get blasted AGAIN by the rabbit. It was dirty, but it kept Freddy from getting hurt further. Bonnie felt terrible about the knee as it is and resolved to fix it up if he had the time. But as it were, he stopped and pinned Freddy beneath him; taking his talons into Freddy's facial plate and lifting it off. The bear jerked and struggled, but Bonnie was strong enough at this point to keep him trapped- thanks to Monty's upgrade.
"Sorry, my brother. I love you, just so you know," he told the bear in a completely factual manner.
He took the tiny drive from the fazwatch- a thing he'd been working on ever since Monty had been hacked a few days ago. He hadn't been able to get a hold of anymore of these tiny chips, and he hoped that he could've used them for ALL his friends- but it seemed Freddy would need it most at the moment. He wasn't sure about Chica and Roxy, but he'd rather disable the most physically adept and more powerful bot with it while he had the opportunity.
He pulled the power box lever on the back of Freddy's head; being sure to zap the bear in the eyes every time he came out of his restart. Then, once he got access to Freddy's brain and circuit board, he attached the chip as carefully as possible. He shut the box, pulled the lever to secure it back, and pulled the facial plates back into place. He stepped off after that, watching as Freddy slowly computed and integrated the chip. He calmed, but then slumped over and passed out.
Good. No longer under Vanny's thrall- and he shouldn't be again.
Bonnie sighed, then bent down and touched Freddy's head gingerly; talons tracing along his cracked cheeks. He frowned at the damage, but thankfully its superficial and can be covered easily. Freddy's knee was the only real issue- as it's facing the wrong way now and inhibited the bear's gait.
The bassist huffed, his touch lingering as he murmured just between them, "This will help you in the future- or at least, I hope it does. Its kinda experimental? I was gonna make more for the others but... I ran out of time." He lowered his gaze, looking lost amidst his thoughts. His tone took on a more intimate and solemn note, "I want you to use this and use it well. Please, please... Use this to help you stay safe. To help you figure out how to help the others, since I can't do it. I won't be around to help you anymore after tonight, I'm afraid. I'm sorry... I really am. I'm truly sorry."
He bent and touched Freddy's head; foreheads bumping before he pulled slowly and reluctantly away.
"You are my greatest love in the world, and you'll always will be. Forever and Ever."
Bonnie walked away, going to pick up his forgotten shades nearby. After that, he focused on the catwalks above and slipped them back on. He narrowed his eyes, and leapt up.
GLAMROCK FREDDY
What Bonnie didn't know at the time was thanks to the chip he got, Freddy would indeed stay safe from Vanny in the future on- At least in large part. It's something Freddy had unknowingly used to save Gregory's life not too long thereafter. This same experimental chip would protect him the night Vanny hacked him on stage, and put the bear into Safe Mode.
But at the moment, the bear wouldn't know that. All he knew was that this night would be largely erased from his head thanks to that same, somewhat glitchy chip and the maintenance done to him the next day. He'd wake up in Parts and Service that following morning with a fixed knee and no memory of last night from 11:00 PM on. All Freddy knew was that something was amiss and he wouldn't be able to put a paw on it until after Bonnie was reported missing and the manager's body was dragged out of the recharge station in the rabbit's room.
Blissfully unawares, Freddy lie on the floor; simply asleep now and completely deaf to the sounds of his best friend's steps vanishing into the darkened loft overhead. He never heard his friend's last words to him; nor would he ever recall the day Bonnie told him he quit. All he'd know was relegated to before the white rabbit woman appeared; the bear's memory of that week in large part wiped.
Bonnie's last ploy- and worst joke ever.
GLAMROCK BONNIE
The rabbit found her hideout.
Well well. So its been in Fazerblast this whole time- that'd explain all the times he's heard the clanging around in the lobby- where it all began.
Bonnie locked eyes with the red-eyed wraith; the woman waving at him tantalizingly from within the room and beckoning him in. He snarled and just waltzed straight into her room- fuck the lock on the door. He only smashed in the glass pane on it and lifted the latch-
And she took off through the door of the other side of the room. Of course she did.
He didn't even spare the expense of a sigh or comment- merely pursued. He found that she was luring him somewhere else now- letting him see her and stay focused on her. Obviously another ploy, but at this point, what's one more? Bonnie was so used to them now that whatever she planned on throwing wasn't going to shock him. He grimly expected more shit slinging at this juncture.
And boy, he hated being right.
Time stamp is 2:40 am. Security report: Bonnie enters East Arcade.
He lost her in the vents for the millionth time. And really, that trick got OLD.
He can't believe their hide and seek game was stretching this long! She's been luring him around the PizzaPlex; and into a plethora of traps. Looks like this whole place was under her control for the time being. Bonnie won't bother remembering all the traps he's experiencing- as it bugged him beyond measure to do so. Its bad enough he kept losing Vanny to the vents every time a new and intrusive noise was heard.
On one occasion, she used some sort of frequency emitter; and it stun-locked him.
THAT was awful.
He supposed in hind-sight, it's not only pragmatic, but gave her more time to escape. And he also had to thank the fact she hadn't kept it up. If she did, more of her bots would swoop down on him during his moment of weakness. She could've REALLY played it dirty, but hadn't. She wanted to milk this, to make him suffer.
She was that bored.
And that made him REALLY mad.
Now, he found himself in the Super Starcade; the area possessing not a lot in terms of hiding places. He can find her in here real easy, but there's always a catch attached-
His only warning had been the bells. The sound was mystifying, strange, and so out-of-the-blue that he legitimately hadn't known how to properly react. His ears caught it and the direction it came from, but he hadn't been able to discern much more than that. He also caught wind of it coming from a VENT.
He looked up-
And right into the smiling sneer of Moon.
Bonnie's mouth flopped open to say something- not that anything came out when Moon jumped RIGHT onto his face and started crawling around his immense body. His shades went flying some-fuck-where; Bonnie flailing around like he got smacked by a fish. He couldn't really grab him either; not when his own fashion statement played against him. His high collar limited his vertical reach- and reaching over his head and trying to get over his shoulders was nearly impossible for him. The stiff, rigid material of the shoulders simply wouldn't allow it. So once Moon was on him, he couldn't do anything to stop him!
Bonnie garbled in shock when the daycare attendant's gnarly fingers went right INTO his neck- and in Bonnie's deluded isolation earlier today, he's clawed some of it open. The attendant had his fingers INSIDE Bonnie's chassis! The rabbit naturally panicked; his hands flying to the attendant's arm and squeezing with enough force to crack his fragile wrist- Moon hissing reproachfully.
He managed to get the attendant off; yanking him by his flimsy wrist and hurling him across the room. The poor attendant smashed into a cabinet and groaned; twisting and contorting around to right himself as Bonnie pressed talons against his throat pipe- its loose, but his voice box was still hanging in there.
He tried to rip it out... the hell?
Bonnie blinked out of his stupor; jumping back out of sheer fright when the freaky, athletic attendant twisted his torso over his head and spidered his way across the floor. He had an odd resemblance to a crab that got spaghettified. Naturally, the sight of a master contortionist doing anything like this weirds out any decent person; and Bonnie freaked. Blame his stupid rabbit brain in some part- and again, its something in his programming he HATED to admit. He still had the behavioral ticks of a rabbit at heart, so mesmerizing sights like this dizzied and befuddled him. He waved his paws as if to shove the image away, and vaulted over more cabinets to try to run-
Just for the attendant to jump AGAIN.
He was too quick! Bonnie was fast but he had NOTHING on this guy. The attendant got a hold of Bonnie's wrists and pulled back; tripping the bot until he nearly face-planted into the floor. Moon stood over his spine and kept pulling backwards-
And shit, he had more strength than Bonnie ever credited him for. He almost pulled his limbs out of his sockets- but not quite. The rabbit snarled, then kicked out his leg- a rabbit's natural first and last lines of defence. It didn't connect with anything, but it made Moon weaken his hold enough for Bonnie to slip free.
The giant rabbit rolled out of the way and dodged when the attendant threw another long-fingered hand at his face- and almost got his whiskers! The attendant was deliberately aiming for sensitive areas now. Unlike Freddy from before, who applied brute force and wrestling moves, the daycare attendant was much more creative and precise in his approach. He was fully aware of their size and strength difference; as well as their level of flexibility.
On one instance, his fingers actually touched Bonnie's sensitive whiskers; and the pressure sensors in them had the rabbit jerking back like a startled horse. The involuntary twitch forced him to bumble his footing- and it gave Moon another go at his throat!
The amount of speed he applied, it was uncanny. Bonnie couldn't react fast enough; but the attendant's hands reached right into his open neck casing and jarred the box loose! Bonnie snapped his jaws and seized the attendant's intrusive limb with his teeth; and even then he hadn't thought he could do it. It was a strange move that actually confused Moon. Then, Bonnie lifted him off his chest with liquid ease and tossed his head- and threw him with enough force so that if he DID hit something, it'll stun him.
And it worked- Moon still managed to twist himself in the air and lighten the blow, but Bonnie's toss still had him hitting some arcade cabinets with enough kinetic energy so that they were knocked over and one trapped the attendant under it.
As quick as it happened, Bonnie had won. But barely.
The rabbit took the moment of reprieve; dashing off in a stumble. He quickly found his shades nearby and scooped them up without stopping; leaving the arcade before Moon pulled himself free. Bonnie made a mental note to stay AWAY from the vents- as he wasn't sure he could win against Moon a second time.
Time stamp is 3:15 am.
The rabbit sat out on one of the benches in the atrium, talons stuck into his neck to try and fix his voice box. It didn't do any good though- as he knew he needed tools to get the job done. He considered a visit to Parts and Service, but he suspected Vanny had that rigged to hell-and-back. Should he set foot there, he's pretty sure he'll get jumped by a billion endos. So no, he couldn't fix himself.
God DAMMIT.
She's taking me apart... slowly but surely, he internally noted. Fucking clever. Literally baiting me all over the PizzaPlex just so she can meticulously and methodically dissemble me. I don't want to say it but... that's probably the smartest thing she's ever done.
Shit. How the hell can I fight her-?
He cursed- or tried to. It came out as choppy static. He zoned out after that; glaring at the confetti-littered flooring in a wonderous stupor. He knew he wasn't winning this. He wouldn't win the night to begin with- it's foolish to think he could. It feels like she's been setting this up a LONG time. Even worse, should he even somehow manage to catch her and get rid of her, he knew by dawn, he wouldn't even be operational. The manager likely called people long before he got to Bonnie's room to come deal with him in the morning regardless.
This was truly going to be his last night.
And it didn't frighten him at all.
The only thing that DID frighten him was failing to stop her.
That was all he had in his mind right now: Stopping her. And he had to, come hell or high water, try.
He breathed; the motion shaky and forcing his compressor to skip. It feels like the attendant did something to his tertiary throat pipe too. Those probing fingers HURT. Had he been a real flesh and blood creature, no doubt his esophagus would've been bruised or crushed- and he'd be gasping for air right now. Still, despite this, Bonnie forced himself off the bench and glared around. He swiveled his ears and used his nose in equal measure; hoping to find the smell of cupcakes and laundry detergent.
All he could smell, was blood.
And it was coming from himself.
He really should've cleaned up better.
He took another look at this paw, blinking numbly as he eyed the remains of his manager's blood. He hadn't wiped it clean as well as he thought. A part of him was glad his friends wouldn't remember seeing him like this. How the heck could he even face them in normal circumstances again after tonight? ESPECIALLY since he committed the ultimate taboo:
He's drawn blood.
Twice.
He remembered grabbing Vanny a few days ago; doing damage to her arm and pondering his lack of care in doing so. And today, he'd been both ruthless and fast with the manager.
Who the heck was he kidding: Maybe being dissembled was for the better. No need for any parting goodbyes; as he didn't want his friends' last conversation with him to be stained, both figuratively and literally, with blood.
He inhaled, held, then craned his head ever so slowly around. He didn't know where else to go, but he wagered if he wandered around enough, he'll figure it out. He was the best listener in all the band- the one who kept the beat. The one who hyped the main attraction. He was a toy, and second-fiddle to every other superstar on this stage.
And he couldn't mind it any less.
There's a reason why even the brightest stars always fade to obscurity when dawn breaks, he conceded. And it looks like this sunrise will be the one to banish my star into perpetual oblivion.
He inhaled again; winced when something sparked and fizzled inside him. His teeth flashed, then he stared across the wide expanse of the atrium. When did it cease to feel like a home? He blinked, feeling himself frown as he carefully kneaded the floppy box.
I'm so sorry, Jeremiah. Alisia. Kendall. Mendez. Gordon. The named, and nameless. I don't think I'll be avenging you either. I'm not good enough alone. I'm only part of a melody- not the whole song. My voice alone isn't loud enough.
It never was.
Time stamp is 4:12 am. Security Report: Bonnie enters Monty Golf.
He'd been meandering around in a near drunken stupor for the last while- hoping to catch any odd noises or clues. His mind kept floating to last night's bullshit, and then back to today's. He had entirely too much on his shoulders, and it was never far from his mind as he lumbered into Monty Golf.
He's visited the recharge station- and while his throat was torn, he still had all his other abilities. He can't talk but he can still fight and dance with the best of them. And so long as a rabbit had its legs, it can outrun anything.
Although, he's already accepted the futility of such an optimistic notion after a point. And now that he's had the chance to linger upon his options, he knew he was being actively toyed with. Vanny wasn't holding back anymore, and Bonnie has done played all his cards. She knows he can hack, bypass, and fight her digitally. And when he's had that moment to sit in the atrium, he's looked into the main server and noticed dismally that he had no way to call for help. He was cut in EVERY domain now. Slowly but surely, she's been weakening him throughout the night without his knowing.
He was finished. He just didn't know it yet.
Or rather, he DID know, but he didn't know where and when his running will end.
He twisted his ears around; frowning as he listened to the ambient noises of the swamp. A small, infinitesimally tiny part of him hoped Monty was available. With Monty rearranging his protocols, he SHOULD be okay- but Vanny has been stepping it up with the hacking, so its hard to say. But if the gator was alright, he'll no doubt see Bonnie here and smell the blood of the manager and the exposed fluid of other bots on him and come running. And if he didn't, well...
Shit.
Bonnie took that moment to collapse onto his knees; a paw finding his throat again and fiddling with the loose box. He breathed; eyes flickering as his Hud blinked on occasion. His ears fell lower too; not finding anything within the immediate environment a true give as to where she could be. The next time she appeared however, he supposed it'd be to finish him off.
Suddenly, one ear elevated; then the other. He inclined his head in the direction his appendages danced; then he was looking up-
And seriously wished he could stop jinxing himself.
She was right THERE. Speak of the devil!
She was casually leaning on the guard rails of the catwalks. There's not a lot of cameras in some of the loftier areas of the PizzaPlex; and no doubt she was standing within a blind spot. She had her hands under chin, tucked sweetly as if daydreaming about her one true love. She fluttered her fingertips at him in a flirty way; her ghoulish gaze an immaculate hell-born redness that illuminated the darkness she was surrounded by.
"How sweet," She cooed at him, her head slightly tilting slightly. "You're on knees, breathless with exhilaration! Are you truly rendered speechless or are you just that happy to see me? I'm touched!"
You wish, you raving cunt.
Bonnie shouted this at her in his head, but he knew better. He was beaten, even though he hadn't lost use of his limbs yet. He stood back up, one paw on his open throat and his maroon gaze fixed on her. He had to admit, her being here was worrying. Its bad enough he missed her presence almost completely- had that frequency from earlier messed with him more than he thought? On another note, she hadn't even disabled his legs or arms. He could jump up there in a SECOND. Why was she here while he's still able-bodied and can end her in a flash?
For that matter, why the fuck was he hesitating?
His eyes darted around the area; the rabbit wondering why it's so quiet- beyond the hiss of the prop gators. Monty wasn't coming-
Double shit.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking," She crooned at him, Juliet teasing Romeo about a love he'd never have. "Your reptilian rapscallion of a friend won't be joining you tonight. It took a bit of planning and persuasion... but I got him to see things MY way."
If only he could swear at her! He could only narrow his eyes and snap his jaws. At the sight of his inability to speak, she outright LAUGHED at his face. She pointed at him like he's some freak exhibit, laughed some more, clapped her hands as if greatly amused (which she was), and danced on her toes-
Now Bonnie was a smart rabbit himself, and tended to not let things get to him. But right now, he was feeling a little sore about his situation. His left eye twitched, then he bent-
And he crossed that distance so fast that Vanny barely had enough time to dodge him.
She rolled as he managed to make it to the catwalks; his fist missing her by inches. He whirled around and surged at her-
Just to run into a wall of green and yellow.
AGAIN.
Monty crashed into him; the two tumbling over and over. Monty's jaws snapped at Bonnie's face; but the rabbit batted it away and hissed back. He's once again lost his shades; his glasses now forgotten on the ground level.
Vanny meanwhile leaned casually on the rail down the ways, checking her paw pads in a casual manner. She hummed, bored with the display. She'd glance up on occasion, dully observing the two animatronics and at length said, "I think... after seeing this before, I want to spice it up. Yunno? Give it more funky flow."
Bonnie meanwhile was on his back again; Monty hanging over him and snapping teeth at his face. He couldn't even spare the woman a glance.
"So, my dear suitor, I think I'll blow you a kiss goodbye! I have just the thing-" She held up a finger as if to say 'wait a moment', holding up her fazwatch and pressing a button on it. Something flashed purple- And while it was hard to tell from where Bonnie was lying, he was pretty sure she's summoning another one of his friends. "There we go. That'll be more interesting! I'll make it easier for you too: I'll stay nearby. If you break from them and follow me, good for you! Gotta have that carrot on a stick, right?"
Bonnie of course couldn't respond; using his powerful legs to try and dislodge Monty. However, the gator's obscene strength matched the rabbit's own tit-for-tat; and both contenders had largely the same upgrades beyond Bonnie's core drivers. They were on equal footing- which was an improvement over last time for him-
Until Roxy showed up.
Bonnie would've yelped- had he the power to do so. He felt his eyes go completely round in their sockets when he watched the wolf zip over with that freakish speed of hers. He kicked Monty HARD- and definitely dented something in order to get away from Roxy's swinging claws. He back-pedaled- the two pushing past each other to try and get another hold of him.
He heard another beep-
GOD DAMMIT. CHICA TOO?
He had only a few seconds before she was here- and he needed to think fast. If he had to defend himself from all three, he was DEAD. Chica wasn't strong- and she wasn't a comparative threat when you consider Roxy and Monty, but her voice box will stun him into a defenseless position. And with his ears, he'll short circuit on the side.
There's no way he was going to get Vanny.
The thought almost sapped all the fight out of him- but he still found enough gumption to throw off Monty again and bolt. He can still RUN- his one advantage.
He loped across the catwalks; with Monty leaping across gaps and Roxanne speeding after him in a way that's true to form: A wolf pursuing its prey. Her snapping jaws nearly caught him on several occasions; but he stayed ahead of her by taking a leap or two himself. He was also a bit better on some of the turns- although not by much. Roxanne being lighter and more maneuverable compensated for whatever little lead he got.
Meanwhile, he supposed karma was being kind when he heard-
"Oh you've GOT to be kidding me! Chica... dammit. What's taking her-?" He managed to glimpse Vanny during a tight turn and he heard, "...God dammit. Who the heck threw pizza in the garbage after closing today? I thought they cleaned all that up! SERIOUSLY? UGH."
Bonnie thanked whatever god smiled there, then leapt again- landing RIGHT in front of Vanny and swiping-
Vanny squeaked and ducked; turning to bolt just as Bonnie almost nailed her right in the gut. She ran down the walks, Bonnie right behind her all the while. And not too far behind him, was Roxanne and Monty.
The rabbit woman wasn't super fast- and Bonnie once again almost had her- but Roxy had a tendency to make up for her comrades in all the wrong ways. The wolf lunged again; tackling Bonnie from behind and taking him down with her. They both fell from the catwalks; but Bonnie was quick with his claws and sank them into the trunk of a tree. He slowed their fall; and he didn't plan on letting Roxy drop and get hurt if the distance was too great. Once he determined the distance however, he shook his waist and managed to dislodge Roxy.
She was off now- but her claws still scoured his middle. The weakened area where Freddy had hit him before caved further; tearing away more of his chest piece. Something in Bonnie's arms also whirred and groaned; his servos fighting to exert the energy needed to support both his and Roxy's weights when he went to slow their descent. He hadn't even shaken Roxy off for more than a second before his arms gave and he was falling again-
And both landed in the ball pit below.
Monty was heard hissing up above; and he went to jump in after them. Bonnie could hear the gator clamber down the tree to slow his descent too; and he had but a few seconds to get out. Thankfully, the balls slowed both his attackers down- with the rabbit leaping STRAIGHT out of the pit just as the gator touched ground level.
His jump wasn't clean- he failed to get back up the catwalks thanks to his lack of stable ground during the initial leap. He got halfway, fell again, and corrected himself by landing on top of the shack in the middle of the golf course. Now that he had stable footing, launched himself again and managed to get back up to Vanny's level. He landed right in front of her, his gaze BEYOND furious.
She squeaked when she nearly ran straight into his waiting arms; his red-tipped talons slicing empty air as she slid between his legs and ran away. Bonnie turned and growled; his voice more static and printer noises as he pressed home his pursuit. Now that he's temporarily shaken the others, he had Vanny all to himself!
She was leading him out of Monty Golf, curiously enough. In fact, she got a hold of a gator gondola and hung on as it passed; teasing a wave at him as it carried her down a maintenance tunnel. Bonnie snapped his muzzle and simply emulated her; grabbing hold of a gondola passing by and keeping his eyes on her. He heard Monty and Roxanne growl far below him; and he knew it wouldn't be long in coming when they came back after him anew. He'll need to find a way to shake them.
She stayed on the gondola until it ended its ride; then she was away again and taking a large lead. Bonnie's ears however didn't fail him; and he managed to keep her in hearing range as he set out after her.
She soon lead him out of the golf course utterly; then she took another tunnel down the PizzaPlex's lower belly. Utility tunnel, no less. She was heading for another attraction and likely running out of ideas. This heartened him into a harder pursuit- the mad buck grinning as he relentlessly remained in her shadow-
She pressed a button on her fazwatch again- and he saw no less than half a dozen S.T.A.F.F bots emerge from a branching tunnel coming from Parts and Service. He bulldozed through them as Monty would; once again gladdened for his strength augmentation. Had he been any weaker, he wouldn't have managed past them like that.
Vanny kept flicking gazes over her shoulder; no doubt worried about him gaining on her. He knew he about had her! He was ALMOST there- until his ears caught Roxanne running not too far behind. THAT was fast! He didn't hear Monty at least, but he knew the gator wasn't long in coming either. He only had half a minute before they BOTH caught up- and perhaps, Chica may deign to join them. Its a given she finished her pizza in the kitchen. Not for the first time, he thanked Chica's ability to change her priorities when it came to pizza- as it seemed to be keeping her from falling completely into Vanny's control. The fact that the chicken can resist where everyone else failed was honestly astounding. If he survived this night at all, he'd kiss her in thanks.
Hm, curious. Why was Vanny heading towards the bowling alley? While Bonnie found this especially strange, he didn't question it. He merely pursued doggedly; his motor running hotter and hotter still. He was puffing clouds- and his core temperature was at near combustion levels. Animatronics don't do well in extended bursts of activity- which was why he and his bandmates were usually encouraged to take breaks every hour or so. He lamented his physical weaknesses there, but it couldn't be helped.
At least in hindsight, it meant Monty will tire out too. He tired quicker than the rest; having more weight to carry and his upgrades tended to push his servos to his limits faster. Bonnie was sadly in the same boat now, but he also didn't intend on stopping here. He was more than aware of the fact he was being destroyed today, and he may as well destroy himself in a way that helped.
Meanwhile, Roxanne continued after him and unlike the males, wouldn't tire. She was one hell of an endurance runner; and its easily the most wolfish aspect about her. One of her upgrades was extended battery life and greater heat tolerance- something that annoyed Bonnie upon recollection. How come not ALL the Glamrocks had that? Was that experimental or just a wolf thing? Perhaps its a wolf thing... a character trait. As Bonnie himself knew one of his rabbit 'things' included his exceptional hearing and incredible bursts of straight speed.
But this wasn't straight- and he was now at his limit.
He bared his teeth when he lost sight of Vanny; although his ears caught her every step as she proceeded towards the bowling alley. Bonnie pursued and took a turn, then smirked when he saw a forklift with a decent sized cargo crate full of new bowling shoes. He ran into it and turned it on; and was satisfied to see it move on its own towards the way he came from-
And while Roxy dodged, Monty didn't. He ran straight into the crate with a comical and pronounced DING. And to make it more hilarious, there was an imprint of his face on its side. He stumbled and growled- ultimately left behind by the actual RUNNERS. If Bonnie hadn't been running for his life, he would've laughed.
Now its just Roxy and himself.
Bonnie wasn't concerned though; as he almost had her! Vanny was foolishly running into his domain. The rabbit, ignoring the critical ranges of his over-stressed motor, actually grazed her on a turn!
Vanny yelped- the sound intrusively pathetic and something that would, under a different circumstance, would've had Bonnie cringe and withdraw. His claws razed her hip; tearing into the fabric and throwing blood into the air.
And yet she kept running.
HOW.
Bonnie would not know this, but the mask would be dulling down the pain itself- making its user endure far longer than they should. For the moment, he not only didn't know, but it baffled him. But continue on he did; with the two finally climbing the stairs into the ice cream parlor's back room.
Vanny emerged and shut the door in his face; but it only spared Bonnie a few seconds of wasted time before he was through with another shoulder charge. The woman had cleared the freezer room then; beating it into the alley. She vaulted the counter and leapt into the lanes; pressing a button to get a patrolling S.T.A.F.F bot's attention. It obeyed, and just as Bonnie caught sight of her again-
She was boosted into yet ANOTHER vent.
He swore in static, then beat it towards his personal stage. He knew EXACTLY where that vent went- and there was no way in hell she's going to leave that room. It's a straight dead end.
Delightful. He had her cornered!
He went into his dressing room and hopped the fence separating it from the pin lane. He snuffled around and found one of the buttons near a slide up door; unlocking it. Once it moved, he went down into its hall and towards the opposite end of the bowling alley. This path lead right into the ball recycling room; and sometimes, he had go in to clean them up himself. Vanny may or may not know about it, but he wagered she didn't. If that's the case, she probably figured herself safe from him!
Oh how silly of her.
He grinned, steam hissing from his worn body as he ducked his head and loped into a predatory saunter. He was satisfied to see Vanny at the end of the hall, trying to leave the recycling room. She'd been trying to leave it, but paused when she saw him strolling up. Her hands went up in surrender.
Game over.
He won the challenge, technically. He also didn't cheat, for the first time in ever. The idea was strange, but this whole night, he's been nothing but endlessly resourceful and hadn't used any tricks in the main server to get to this point. He's also had to deal with her bullshit up until now. And now she's cornered herself. She couldn't climb the vent again, as it's too high up for her and its bad enough the bot outside had to boost her here in the first place. It's truly over- And she knew it.
He grinned, the expression a maddening quality on his face just as his approach alone pinned her to a wall. The woman even tripped backing into the ball recycling track; flopping around with a single hand raised. He would've spared her a witty comment if he could, but perhaps it's good his voice box was dislodged. No need to gloat that much.
He loomed over her; his previously blood-stained claws raised. He let her see the look of satisfaction on his face; the joy in which he felt as he took her life. The cathartic sensation of knowing this place and his friends would be free of her! He could shut down happy with the end result-
-What he didn't expect, was a bowling ball to slip out of the vent above his head and land right on top of him.
The sensation briefly disoriented him as well as surprised. He recalled Roxy being an issue... and she was tall enough to reach the vent above he and Vanny- the same way in which the rabbit woman had come in. However, as he stumbled on that spot and looked up, he was completely shocked to see-
Chica.
The hen had jumped into the vent at some point with a bowling ball grabbed directly from the lanes. And when Vanny had prostrated herself beneath it, lured Bonnie right into position. And now that Bonnie was senseless for that one precious second, he didn't hear Roxanne coming from the tunnel he just came from-
He turned, and felt teeth sink into what little remained of his neck.
He fell to the ground; briefly in a scuffle with her as Chica pulled herself from the vent completely and touched floor. Vanny backed to another spot in the room to watch as the hen went and picked up a different bowling ball this time- Roxy keeping the rabbit pinned beneath her. Bonnie kicked her off- and her head hit the wall. Roxy was stunned-
But Chica still clocked him on the noggin.
He dropped again; and this time the hen was on him with the ball once more.
Roxy bounced back like a champ; then she was tearing into the rabbit with a rabid, seething ferocity that had her pulling at his limbs in an effort to keep him from fighting back. Her teeth sank into the neck area of his breast plate; shaking violently too and fro. Her claws punctured through the weakened area of his plate and rented it open fully; her talons burying themselves into his over-heated and stressed core. He stopped fighting; simply sat there with his mouth open and eyes on the ceiling- barely processing his imminent system shut-down as he felt both the claws and his motor's heat jointly stun-lock him.
Coolant sluiced out from his heart; seeping into the cracks and crevices of his body and staining his colors inside and out. He held still for however long Roxy's claws remained inside him; his right ear twitching where the rest of him had grown still. She kept a firm hold of his neck, sinking with him until he finally hit the floor-
And once again he was hit with the bowling ball.
Vanny clapped the entire time.
The last bit of sight Bonnie remembered was the rabbit woman bending down next to him, murmuring something towards his right ear and backing away. She stood up, pretty much ignoring her wound and pressed a button on her fazwatch. His friends -her drones- briefly let him go.
"Game. Set. Match," she crooned at him.
And then she walked away ever so casually; letting Roxy and Chica finish pulling him apart.