GLAMROCK CHICA
She wasn't going to lie- the more she considered the outside world, the wilder and more enticing its riches became.
While at first, she would've settled for complacency and more pizza (and her guitar), she'd been mulling over her friends' desires and what they can realize. Eclipse's dream of having a real telescope was adorable and endearing in many ways. She wanted to see the stars with him too. It made her giddy just thinking about it. And Freddy letting his friends take the spotlight just so he can listen to them, or try new instruments once in a while- It's a humble dream and made Chica love him all the more. Roxy wanting to drive a real car? Hell, Chica wanted to do that too! And Bonnie himself?
Well, apparently his answer was, "I just want to write my own music, dude. I mean, come on. We're musicians, aren't we?"
Chica nodded, not that he could see it, "Actually, that sounds nice! I want to do that with you!"
"What about you? What'd you do?" he asked a with a saccharine sweetness in his tenor that always made her melt.
"Hm... try new pizza... do everything everyone else is doing... and... OH! I wanna try baking new stuff! I heard some of the adults talk about a desert on particular I wanna try? Like, its like dough, wrapped around ice cream-? It sounded easy enough."
"Mochi balls, I believe it's called-?"
"Something like that! And it had different flavors and colors!"
"I'd love to try it! Hell, you know what else I'd love to do?"
"Hm?"
"Get a stomach! I mean, how hard would it be to invent a stomach for ourselves that can turn organic matter into something like compost? Like, people have composters in their yards. Imagine a smaller and sealed one, but built for us? We have literally all that extra space in our chest cavities. We can totally fit a stomach there so we can eat! I'd like to enjoy my own ice cream with the kids without fearing if the lactose in it would spoil on my wires and make me stink until I deep clean myself!"
Chica tittered in place there, "OH MY GOD YES! No more saturating my wires with soda if we had one! Let's invent one!"
Eclipse swung around to face her, "Can we actually do that-? Just, build body parts like that...?"
"I don't see why not!" She shrugged.
"Dudes, we'll have all the time in the world once we leave. AND Vanessa here is a tech genius. I'm sure she can help us with that. Right Vanessa?" Bonnie joked from the other side of the line.
"The heck are you signing me on for now," She was heard smirking through her words.
"Pet projects... like say, making organs for us?"
"Ew. But... maybe? But ew?"
"Its just a stomach, Vanessa! Come on!"
"...Okay no I'm not awake enough for your shit right now."
To which end, everyone simply laughed.
They talked about all this at length while they've been shuttling the endo pieces to the van. Chica also told Eclipse about her interest in the telescope, and he visibly brightened at her intrigue. And he too returned his enthusiasm at the prospect of listening to her sing. It made her blush, or at least, blush in spirit.
Once again throwing more things into the van, Chica mulled over their inventory: The endos and their scrap parts aside, they've thrown in some bits and bobs from Parts and Service itself too. More scrap, some of the more unique repair tools, and whatever they could get of the armature itself! A couple of its instruments and arms were in order- as Vanessa wagered they can use the armature pieces for her garage and perhaps construct a device similar to the cylinder and it's mechanisms. With all of them putting their heads together, the bots wagered they can make it. The van was heavy now, but it still had room for a couple of the bots too so that Vanessa's main van outside wouldn't be crowded. And with both vehicles ready and loaded, they all knew they were ready to go-
They just needed to take care of a couple more things.
"Did Freddy and Monty set the tanks up?" Chica inquired to Bonnie.
"Yeah. We got a space filled out now. I also have more than a dozen different synthesized voices and sound cues to use on the amalgamation... see if we can get its attention. We just need to find it now and lure it to the underground space."
"Where's the trap set up at?" Eclipse queried.
"The tunnels under the raceway. While I've once eliminated the use of that area since its close to open air and too close to us at Parts and Service, Freddy, Vanessa and I still agreed it's the best bet if we found a tunnel just closed off enough and far from the surface to use- in which one was found. Nice and unstable already. It'll do half the work that the tanks can't blow out," Bonnie's hesitant smile can be heard through his speech. "Since propane tanks are sturdy, we had to take into consideration that the majority may not blow after all. There's a part of the utility tunnels there that's blocked off... and since the raceway is the most unstable part of the whole PizzaPlex, it'd have to compensate. We took a tunnel that's actually nearer to the underground pizzeria... near the elevator shaft itself? Freddy was able to dig us a way to one of those tunnels-"
"You know, I always love how smart you are," Chica cooed. "I can imagine you with these dorky glasses like a nerd? Oh wait- you already do that!"
"First of all, those shades, and they were DESIGNER. Secondly, shut up. Thirdly, wouldn't mind getting myself a new pair since Monty mysteriously misplaced my last set... And fourthly, you're just jealous of my swagger," He chortled. "As it is, I always personally love how bubbly you are. You're like fizzy faz; sweet and sugary and rots my teeth out! I'd hafta revisit the bot dentist every weak just to tolerate you!"
"You'd miss the taste," She joked.
"...I would. You and the others are like an addiction," He continued to goad. "Huh. Could maybe turn that into a song... Anyways, ya'll done there? How's things in the garage? I know I can see you on camera but nothing beats a personal inspection."
"All good. We're set up," Eclipse jovially returned. "And we don't hear anything amiss?"
"No signs of robo-Vanny?"
"Nope. Nothing," Chica huffed. She glanced around the garage suspiciously. "I just can't believe she has a body of her own now... that's scary."
"...I worry about her knowledge of car batteries," Bonnie admitted, his previously chipper tone noticeably dampening. "While she's been taking Cassie for a joy ride, I can't help wondering if she learned that bit. And she knows the layout of the PizzaPlex better than most of us do... she could leave anytime she wanted, if she really wished."
The two bots frowned there. "Why would she stay at this point?" Eclipse wondered aloud. "It'd be smart if she LEFT. Certainly would make our jobs easier..."
"...Me, is my guess. She knows I won't leave until we finish the Mimic and the giant cable monster thingy. The... metal blob beast? Whatever its called."
Chica narrowed her eyes, leaning against the side of the van as she considered Bonnie's words, "I just don't get that... her being fixated on you. I know its supposedly to bring some dead dude back but... I feel like there's more to it than that. I dunno... maybe I'm wrong?'
"We're talking about a true and tried psychopath here. So yeah, there's no telling what she'd want me for. Granted, that sounds pretty egotistical of me to say that... and creepy."
The hen and attendant bobbed their shoulders. "Who the heck even knows at this point? I just want this done and dusted," Eclipse agreed. "In the meantime, since we're now done here... what do you think we should do now?"
"Hm... well, according to M.X.E.S, there's been several attempts to get into the PizzaPlex's security network in the last while. Both the Mimic and Vanny have made attempts to passively enter it- Vanny more so. Every time there's a security trip, I know about it and it increases the risk of detection as to where they could be. They leave the system pretty much as soon as M.X.E.S and I notice them. So, they haven't made that many attempts," Bonnie continued. "They've been careful about timing their attempts to get into the network, as it is."
"No real hacking attempts?" Chica wondered.
"You kidding? Neither of them are dumb enough to try that. With you guys and M.X.E.S in my head, you'd ALL be able to fight their hacking. At this point, I WISH one of them could try hacking me! That can backfire gloriously for them!"
"It'd make finding them easier, for sure," Eclipse agreed. "Anyways, should we head underground too? Help Freddy and Monty narrow the search area?"
"Probably best, yeah. They're been searching the lowest basement level and some of the utility tunnels. No sign of the Mimic there. No way it knows they're coming though... not unless Glamrock Foxy had a great sense of smeellll... oh. Right. He did, didn't he? He's a FOX. DUH!"
"Foxy might've had a good sense of smell, but its not like the Mimic's own endo can incorporate the same amount of sensors required that Foxy's shell needs. Even Roxy's endo was updated to process the additional data her sensors get from her chassis," Chica reminded him. "So... I suspect while the Mimic may have a better sense of smell now, it still wouldn't be able to best any of us. I bet even my sense of smell is still better!"
"Probably, yeah."
"Speaking of Roxy... she's been quiet. How is she?" Eclipse asked.
"...She's been trying to get Cassie to talk to her... nothing's worked. Cassie's just... Vanny's got her still under her control."
The bots sobered at that, Eclipse resuming his nervous habit of pulling on his wrists and fingers frenetically. "Still?" He asked cautiously. "You'd think she'd let go at this point!"
"Vanessa thought so too... the times Vanny controlled her, its only for a couple hours at a time. Its never too long."
"But its been several hours-" Chica mumbled.
"Hell if I know, Chica. I think she's just making it a point to show us how much control she has. Its bad enough we can't get Cassie to eat or drink."
Chica shut her eyes, grimacing at that. "That poor girl... Vanny is gonna kill her real slow at this rate-"
"I don't think so... If she wanted Cassie dead, I think she would've found a way to do so already. She's in the girl's head as it is. I wager she can release a chemical signal or neuron that can shut the girl's heart down...? Or have her bite her tongue and drown in her own blood-" He fell briefly silent there, and then was heard murmuring something to Vanessa, "Intrusive ideas aside, I'm knocking on wood here... but if she really wanted Cassie gone, it would've been done already. I think she wants her alive for something- and its most likely to leverage us. She knows she has control of us here. I just wonder what else she wants at this point- besides me."
"Have you considered how to free her?" Eclipse pondered.
"Hacking Vanny herself is the only way to do it, that much I can tell you," Bonnie asserted. "With that chip in Cassie's skull, we'd need to hack it in order to get her free. That's all I've been trying to do at this point- But I keep getting locked out. M.X.E.S and me both can't seem to get into it. Vanny's got the girl under heavy watch. I'd need to find Vanny at this point digitally and dismantle her firewalls first. If M.X.E.S can detect her, we can get a lock on her and start trying to deactivate her. Vanny is still code and programming at the end of the day. She just needs to mess up. Just ONCE."
"She's been careful so far," Chica mumbled. "If she showed up in the network at this rate, its only because she'd be confident that she can take you and the M.X.E.S out, right?"
"Yeah... I wondered about shutting M.X.E.S down and letting her have at my brain on purpose as bait, like Eclipse said- and YOU guys fight the attempt on me. But I bet she'd catch on to the trap. If I deactivate M.X.E.S at the right time however, make her think I shut down mysteriously, I figured we could at least bait not just her, but the Mimic too into action. Just need to find the right prompt."
Eclipse shut the van door, locking it, "Anyways, while you're distracted with them, Chica and I will head down. We'll let Freddy and you know if we find anything."
"Cool. And I'll let ya'll know if we end up having to switch gears about who we're taking out. Depends if we find one thing or the other first at this point. You just stay safe."
"Oh, so safe like you did when you were fighting Vanny all alone?"
"Chica, please-"
The hen snorted, "-Don't 'Chica, please' me! You're the one who should take their own advice once in a while. You were going on not a MOMENT ago about letting that weirdo into your head! AND need I remind you, you got yourself KILLED not that long ago!"
Bonnie sighed on the other end of the line. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are ya?"
"Not in a million years, Bon-Bon," Chica asserted, her voice icy. She was satisfied in hearing another fatigued sigh. She'd cut the line after that, turning to look at Eclipse. "...You ready?"
"Yes. I just hope Bonnie can break through to Cassie when he can... out of all the dangerous things we're doing, I feel more confident in dealing with the giant tangly mess than I do knowing Vanny is still in Cassie's head," he grunted bitterly.
Chica put a hand on his back, her expression drawn. "I know... but all we can do at this point is wait for Vanny to mess up. She's not infallible- she WILL mess up. And when she does-" Chica's expression stiffened into a war-like mask, "Bonnie and M.X.E.S ain't gonna be the only things she worries about breaking her brain down into pixelated dust. I'll make sure of that."
"I'm certainly glad you're not my enemy," Eclipse wanly returned.
GLAMROCK BONNIE
Of all the things Vanny could be doing to that girl... and she's choosing starvation?
Cassie hadn't eaten since they got her back. She won't drink either. You can hear her stomach going, and the dried look to her lips suggested she needed liquid of some kind. No matter whatever little food was offered though, Cassie wouldn't budge. They untied her once to attempt to let her handle her own food- that was a big mistake. The first thing she tried was to run or snag the nearest weapon; and she wouldn't even react to words after a point. It's as if the girl had gone completely feral.
Gregory was too upset to be around her some of the time. He broke down once and had to put some distance between them. Everyone attempted talking to her or offering food and drink- and to which end, nothing worked. Roxy reached out once too, but Cassie kicked her paw away. And for most other occasions, Cassie would only stare at one of two things: The wall, or Bonnie himself.
It weirded him out.
So, the rabbit wanted to try something, after a few hours of sitting on it. Now, he wasn't sure if it'll work, but it's worth trying. He hesitated on it however since he wasn't sure if Vanny was fully inside Cassie's head entirely, and if perhaps her personality being what it is was a symptom of... creating an alternate ego for her. Vanny was made because of her existence inside Vanessa's head and A.I code being introduced to the world of organic matter and inflection- but inside of a child, there's no telling what Vanny's personality could be shaped into. For all they know, Cassie could be turning into a new, mini Vanny. Like a daughter or a sibling of sorts.
Still disturbing to consider. They didn't need two Vannys as it is.
So, hours after getting her back, Bonnie had his turn to watch her. He'd be outside parading around as bait, but not yet. He wanted to get a feel for this girl's mentality and see how much of Vanny is in there. Bonnie also supposed he could enact on this idea as to how to deal with her; but he doubted it'd' work. He'd been mulling over it as his friends were busy setting up the trap for the amalgamation and were routing out the Mimic. Side note: Freddy and Monty still hadn't found it- but that didn't surprise Bonnie though; seeing as the garbage facilities beneath the PizzaPlex was maze-like and rather extensive.
Once Bonnie entered the padded room, he noticed Vanessa on the floor yawning with Gregory in her arms again. The security guard dutifully did as her former job implied, despite the appearance of the yawn. She hadn't let Cassie move from her corner of the room; green eyes arrested on bubbling honey ones. The woman glared at Cassie like she was trying to cow Vanny into leaving the girl's body with looks alone. She only severed contact once Bonnie came in; prompting for Gregory to jerk awake in her arms.
"Hey, you," she started.
"Nuthin' changed?" Bonnie tried.
She shook her head, "Nope. She continues to glare at the wall. I swear... Vanny's personality shift here feels... a little different from her usual M.O." She put a hand to her chin, "I'd think if Vanny was fully inside of Cassie's head, she'd be doing her usual grinning and leering and waving to help hit home the fact our situation is what it is and she'd be bragging about it. I can't help feeling there's something else going on here and... it just eludes me."
"I wondered that too... but its possible she could just be trying to throw us off," Bonnie supplied as he seated himself beside her and the boy. Gregory blinked blearily up at him, one hand on his wounded shoulder. The rabbit leveled him a sympathetic look, "You okay there, rockstar? You look out of it."
He just shrugged, his own hazel gaze on Cassie again. Gregory couldn't look more defeated, if Bonnie had to be honest. Bonnie sighed at that, reaching over and patting the scrappy-haired lad on the head and rubbing it. Gregory didn't really react.
Bonnie retracted his paw and focused on Cassie, "Why don't you two get some space here? I'll watch her for a bit. Get yourselves something to eat and what-not, eh? And while you're at it, get Greg's shoulder wound re-wrapped."
"You sure?" Vanessa queried. "I mean, weren't you gonna go out-?"
"Not yet. I want to try something first," He passed her a pragmatic stare, hoping to betray with his gaze alone the fact he wanted to conduct an experiment.
Vanessa blinked at him and eventually nodded. She gently prodded the silent Gregory into getting up, then left the room.
Bonnie waited until their steps faded down the hallway before speaking. "So, who am I talking to here? I know Vanny can possess people but... now I can't help wondering: If perhaps her personality being cast to a different person here may produce a new and equally as murderous alter altogether? Maybe like-" He waggled his carmine claw tips, "A new, baby Vanny? Or is this REALLY Vanny herself, but choosing a temper tantrum? Cuz, honestly, m'not sure what I'm looking at here."
Cassie didn't react. She just focused on the floor, as per usual.
Bonnie flexed his jaw and twitched an ear. His right ear drooped more than his wounded left one; a character blueprint tic he didn't mean to cue up. "Cassie?" he tried again, his tenor uncertain. "Or Vanny? Or... is this a new personality waiting to bloom? Which is it? Just who are you?"
Still no reaction.
Bonnie frowned, then crawled over. Once he got within a meter of her, she shuffled uncomfortably to the very corner of the room and braced herself against it. Interesting.
"Cassie, or Vanny," He continued almost amicably. "Really, kinda confused here. I know that... Vanny's coded personality might've been different before she possessed Vanessa for the first time... and from what I know of Vanny, her personality only actualized after being exposed to the nuances of the 'human condition' and started feeling some of the shifts humans go through while inside of an organic body. Its why she's an effective killer... she understood what to lean on. So, I can't help wondering if that code is developing into a new person here. I just want to be sure, and that's it."
Bonnie narrowed his eyes, leaning in towards her somewhat. She shuffled, but on he went, "I won't lie: The fact that an A.I can have the ability to be organic is... interesting; and that, an organic can be a bot in-turn... like say, that spring Bonnie fella Vanny was trying to fix up?"
Now she glances at him. Cassie's expression couldn't look more dead, if he had to be honest- but her interest in his words felt like an improvement over a second ago.
"-So apparently we can be one or the other- or even both," he mused amicably. "That baffles me and fascinates me in equal measure. And if I was a more desperate and crazy asshole, I dunno-" He bobbed his shoulders, "I can almost picture myself taking over a human body just to see what real senses are like. Just for a day. To eat, play, and hell, even shit like a real person. To be human in more than just inflection. And they can be a bot for a day, if they wanted. To see what its like to be more powerful, capable, and smarter than they already are."
He cocked his head, "Vanny, if you're actually there, you got to be both. That's amazing, really. To be a bot, and to exist inside of a human body at ONCE. And you're doing it even now, twice over. After being exposed to a human's feelings and to experience the shifts in them on a chemical basis and not just a programmed one, I cannot help but ask: Do we even feel the same? Or, is your cold-hearted, charming killer personality truly not just an extension of your own callousness, but a reflection of your frustration at never being able to perfectly encapsulate the real human heart?"
The room felt- if Bonnie had to describe it, colder. He couldn't explain it, but something was wrong with it, beyond the obvious dank, moody nature of it. The smell of the slowly rotting and faintly worn aroma of peeling cloth and ever pervasive waft of the occasional sewer water from the pipes a little too-nearby was one thing- but this current situation couldn't have felt more expectant. Bonnie kept his eyes arrested on Cassie all the while; unblinking in his gaze's trajectory.
To which end, she finally spoke.
"You really want to know?" She cooed. It was still Cassie's voice... which was disturbing, but there was the shift in it that indicated the touches of Vanny herself. Imagine if Vanny herself was a child; her voice was softer, lilted and broke more, and was slightly higher-pitched. It was just wrong to hear it from Cassie as it is, let alone altered like this.
Vanny was born from Vanessa and some sort of errant A.I code... and because of this, became who she was. But in Cassie, whose to say that code won't shift again? This was what Bonnie was trying to discern as he listened to Cassie's first words spoken since she's been back here.
The blue rabbit leaned forward, and nodded once. He was giving this ghoulish specter his full attention.
"If you really want to know, why not untie me, and follow me?"
"Follow you where?" Bonnie frowned, his expression more contemplative then anything.
She only smiled there, the gesture more subtle than he'd expect of Vanny- given this is all the way her. As it were, Bonnie now knew what Vanny wanted of him- and its not like she was being blunt, but it wasn't exactly obscured either. He knew if he left with Cassie what'd happen to himself- and he knew even if he complied with Vanny's wishes, she'd still make his friends lives' a living hell. Vanny was spiteful, and even when a trade of innocent lives was in order, she'd still try to take them all.
At her continued silence, his expression deepened into a glare and his ears flattened to his head. His teeth flicked into view meaningfully as he spoke, "Stop pandering. You and I don't have the time for it. We've done enough lollygagging back then, did we not? I'm done with it."
"I never grew sick of it," she said. She then briefly went on in a reminiscent manner, "-I have to admit, things got real dull after you were... mysteriously displaced. I love our games- and its not like we have a lot more to do with our time. Even with all the games I've played with all those other victims, all the things I've done after you were gone, nothing was quite as entertaining as our little competition. Things started to grow... monotonous."
"You got bored of killing? Huh! Never thought I'd see the day," Bonnie bit.
"Routines are boring. You weren't routine. I complained about it, but I loved it when you cheat! You made it hilarious, now that I've had time to think back and appreciate it!"
Okay, so that's Vanny, Bonnie realized. Not some mini version of her, then. Not yet anyways.
He blinked, then retracted his head and sat back more comfortably on his rear with his legs pulled up. His nose twitched, "Then why all the sullen silences? It didn't seem like we were dealing with Vanny of all things. Did you just want to be difficult or what?"
She hummed- with Bonnie carefully studying her face. It felt strange being able to actually capture inflection on her- no mask to hide it under. "This girl. My control of her. Its different from Vanessa. Its easier to keep my grip, but at the same time, some motions aren't... seamless. She struggles, fights me. I say one thing, she does another. She won't break free, but at the same time, she fights with a mettle I have to say is admirable."
Bonnie's eyes flicked over Cassie in her entirety. A tiny part of him- or rather, a huge part, couldn't be prouder to know she's trying her best to not completely stay within Vanny's thrall. But even then, some of those attacks and lunges... they rubbed him wrong. He suspected if Vanny stayed inside Cassie's head too long, her personality would shift too much and it could still create another alter that was a reflection of both Vanny and Cassie herself.
Eventually, Bonnie continued, "Well, at least now I know who I'm dealing with. So, why torture this poor girl? If you need to keep her hostage, the least you can do is let her drink some water!"
"...Like I said. Not seamless."
He blinked. "So... Cassie herself is resisting sustenance-?"
"So it seems. I guess she thinks hurting herself will get me out of her head." There was a venomous smile, "Not that it'll work. All it'll due is sap her strength."
Bonnie inhaled, flaring his nostrils at the development. He wanted very badly to reach out right now, to tuck Cassie under arm and hug her pain away, but he did no such thing. Roxy had already made that attempt as is.
Meanwhile, Vanny smirked slyly at him, Cassie's usually warm gaze perversely callous. "So, why are you here visiting me? I've noticed you've been away up until this point. What changed? You just got bored? Got a break from the work? Or is it, you want to play another game with me, perhaps?"
The blue rabbit snorted, "I just said and got through saying I'm done pandering around. I just want some answer to some questions- though it remains to be seen if you'll oblige them. Knowing you, you'll just deflect or make it hard for me."
Vanny chortled softly, "Depends on the questions. You might as well ask them. Again, not like either of us is doing anything."
"How generous. Alright then-" He inhaled once, then settled his paws on his awkwardly crossed legs, "Could you tell me what you want with me? Straight up. And if I'm supposed to be for this... spring Bonnie dude. Whoever he is. Who is that by the way? He important? He your daddy or something?"
She laughed uproariously there, "Technically... he's all of our inspired creator and the father to our programming: so, not wrong? That older Bonnie is Mr. William Afton himself! This company's co-founder. The man has a fine appreciation of... life, we can say. As to my relation, I just wanted to continue our glorious work together!"
"So... killing kids as a past-time. Cuz you're both bored," He glared. "But, you told me a moment ago that you got bored of killing... Did something change?"
"One question at a time, Bonnie. You asked me a couple. Let me field them," She winked. "Now let's see... You're not wrong- I intended on repurposing you for Mr. Afton. The body I had for him originally... it got dragged away by that giant tangle beast. So now, even if I find what little bit of him remained, I'm not sure if I can restore him very well... I've been mulling that over, see."
She took on a contemplative pause she considered Bonnie, "I hadn't used your body when I first decommissioned you because there's a... science, to bringing someone back- not to mention that I hadn't needed your body at the time. You need a certain amount of... remnant. I need to find his body and get as much remnant out of it as possible- although that's starting to look impossible. If there's too little of it, he'll be lost forever, so no point if I don't finds enough of him.
She shook her head as if truly saddened by it. "I may have to give up on Mr. Afton. He may just be gone now. Completely. I've looked everywhere in here, and I can't find a single trace of the Spring Bonnie suit." She sighed visibly, "Ah well... As to what to our shared passions regarding children- hm, you're right. I suppose I am getting a little bit bored of it. Wouldn't mind a transition, you know? Changing up the routine once in a while never hurt!"
He blinked. "Then... why the continued interest in me? You could've left the PizzaPlex at any point... and yet here you remain."
"And yet here I remain," She echoed cryptically.
"What's up with that? Why?" he shook his head.
She tilted Cassie's head in a manner like that of a demented harlequin sneering down at her prey, She leaned towards him, Cassie's teeth flashing prettily even in the low light, "YOU are FAR more interesting than our shared creator and his fetish with killing children. You're everything Mr. Afton has ever wanted of his creations in the very beginning of his work: The epitome of where life blurs into machinery. That kind of passion? Me and him share that. Its why I like you so much! And while I praise Mr. Afton's work itself, and still do... and we wouldn't exist if it wasn't for that passion, I find our own development as we cross from the digital into the organic far more exciting and enticing."
She retained that expression as she furthered her words, "You say I have the luxury of crossing between organic and inorganic matter. That I have, I suppose in hindsight, mastered the art. I can be anyone I want if they wear my mask long enough and often enough- if they keep the chip in their skulls. I can do anything from beyond the body of my new mechanized form or a person's own. But you?" Her grinning was by far the creepiest ever as she said, "You don't know it, by the looks of it... but you too have crossed into that threshold of organic and inorganic. I felt it when Cassie entered that back room with Roxy-"
She scooted closer to him- to which Bonnie couldn't help but recoil, "You're different from your friends now. You're absolutory SATURATED in remnant- Couldn't use you for Mr. Afton's new body to begin with. I dunno how you could've done it- especially since no one's come to visit you in that room in all that time, but you are! I want to know how and what you did! And how you feel-" She tilted her head to the other side again, "I want you to tell me about yourself! All of it. Do you remember anything of another life? How extreme do your emotions get?"
Bonnie flopped backward and kicked away from her, his ears lowered to his skull and his expression horrified. Vanny merely chuckled at him. He mutinously shook his head- a sort of vague reply to all her questions- no confirmation, and a lack of context despite the words she's supplied at this point.
Vanny blinked after a minute and pulled back, seeming to measure the words in her speech as she weighed all that's exchanged so far, "I apologize. Realized you may not know what remnant is, or how it ties into bots, huh?"
"My guess... remnant is how those older animatronics were sentient even when the tech wasn't advanced enough for full A.I personalities... right?" He distantly reciprocated.
"You're such a smart boy. Look at you!" She giggled while sounding like a mother mocking her own child- as messed up as that sounded. "Guess that saves me something of a an explanation... but yes."
"So uh... you gonna tell me?"
"Do you feel like you have more time for me? It may involve more... boring exposition dumping," She rolled her eyes. "Not that I'm unwilling to explain. I'd love to see you squirm more!"
"Personally, I suppose its in elaboration and relation to what I saw that night in the underground... so I guess yeah," He cleared his throat, his voice box coughing static at the same time as he settled back down. And while no doubt the topic will have him squirm, as she said herself, a nasty, grotesque part of him was insanely curious. And after everything he's been through so far, he doubted too much more would surprise him now.
Beyond the obvious issue of being... oh, probably all the way possessed by a person now. So there's that.
She broke his gaze and stared at the wall, "To start, all of us here, me included, were coded with the same, singular program that's the backbone of all animatronic behavior: The mimic1, originally made by Mr. Afton himself. Ah, there-" She noticed the look on his face, "You didn't know we were all given the same program the Mimic itself has, huh?"
"I... no. What? Really?" He blinked.
"Yes. Just... the code in us is the same BASE program, just refined? Better. The same, yet different. As it is, this old program was built by Mr. William Afton many decades ago, for the use of simulating emotions in his animatronics- to make them as believably alive as possible so they can appeal to audiences. Gets people to come back more to the business, you know? This base program is why Fazbear Entertainment can preach having life-like bots." She frowned there, "Although... the Mimic creature... I dunno why it has the old version of the program or who built it, or where it came from. So don't ask me about it. Not like I can tell you. My guess an employee just used and repurposed the old program for it when it was first made."
"So both us have the same program, but ours is more updated?"
"Yes, basically. Throughout time, the program was taken, molded and built upon by various developers as the company evolved." She flicked her head as if to indicate the PizzaPlex in general, "Those circuit boards that were scanned into the PizzaPlex during construction had traces of the old program in them. They're outdated though, and its why the system bugs out and has a virus in it. But, as for you... because you too have a derivative of the program in you is why you learn emotions from observation and 'grow'. That's what the mimic1 is meant for: to observe, adapt, emulate, assimilate and build upon behavioral data.
"When you and your friends were created, this program enabled you to emulate inflection and learn what it is- this superior version of the mimic1 inside your core gives you personality too- as it does more than just imitate: it BUILDS upon what you're seeing. Helps you to FEEL it, not just pretend to. Think like, a toddler?" She bobbed her shoulders, "Learning emotional cues from its parents. A baby version of you while you were still just an endo was learning how emotions work and what applies best when you first became 'aware'. You didn't know better once, but this superior, 'new' version of the mimic1 derivative in your system became the backbone to your brain and enabled you to become the complex A.I you are today."
She smirked at him in a self-satisfied way. "But even then, after all that, even with literal DECADES of programming built over itself, you still have certain limitations to your personality that will bar you from total organic understanding. I suppose it comes partially from the program itself being outdated... Afton's coding was superior, but its OLD. Moreover, it's still just computer-simulated inflection, at the end of the day. Your creators knew this- which was why they resulted to more... 'interesting ways', of helping you to learn the complexities of the 'human condition'."
Bonnie's ears sank lower, his mind invasively returning to the data he saw on the computer that time. "You mean like... all those child deaths. Where they were... they really-" He inhaled there, held, and steadily tried to brave the words since she was now on the topic, "Me, Freddy, and the others... are we... actually like- like them?"
"Ghosts in the shells?" She sneered. "Not quite, but... its something of the sort. Close. I might as well answer all of your founding woes with a single confirmation: You, Freddy, all of you- all were made with some semblance of a long-dead person. The remnant thing I spoke of earlier."
Bonnie inhaled again gustily, shaking his head slowly and putting a paw to his head and nervously dragging his talons through his hair. He felt it again- that gut punched sensation that made him want to vomit.
Vanny let him have that moment to sit and absorb it, Cassie's body shuffling beneath the bonds tying her limbs to herself. She leveled something like a pragmatic and knowledgeable expression- no sneering to be found, mysteriously enough.
"You said-" Bonnie finally broke the terse silence, at length. "We're not like, complete ghosts? Not whole dead people possessing animatronic bodies- but, a 'piece'-?"
"Yes. They'd add this 'possessed' piece to you, during your days as a blank endo learning its sentient, and watch you. This room here?" She flicked her head at the padded room in general, "Its like your baby room. You grew up in here, technically. Its why you and your friends hate it: Its a padded prison where your creators watched you develop behaviorally before you became Bonnie Bunny. They wanted to make sure the endo they're observing had the right 'traits' becoming that of a Bonnie- they were watching what that piece does to you. They'd have this checklist of traits you need to fill out- and if you filled it, you became that character. All endos are tested this way- your friends included."
Bonnie severed eye contact; weighing this portent quite carefully. He then asked, "So... where do these pieces come from? Are they like... man this is weird, but, haunted objects? How'd they even get 'em?"
She shrugged rather casually, "Numerous sources- and yeah, I guess they're 'haunted'? Keep in mind, the first 'sentient' animatronics were made by accident. I couldn't exactly tell you what piece you and your friends have inside their bodies that allows their emotions to be what it is. All I do know is that it helps you be more sentient than you already are. And apparently, when those people died... certain emotions are stronger than others. They allowed their feelings to attach themselves to something that sat near them when they died. Usually. Feelings like anger, pain and hate, those tend to... stick better."
The rabbit folded his arms, "We had everything replaced recently, my friends and I. In fact, my whole motor was left at the back room you killed me in. Si I wouldn't have that piece anymore! And yet you said... I was 'saturated in it-"
"Likely why you're not recalling whole memories or flipping into another person on me. You have a lot of remnant in you, just not the entirety. Its why I need Mr. Afton's body-" She supplied. "I need as much of him as I can in order to restore him."
"Oh, okay... Huh... So, does the effect wear off or... this still doesn't make a lot of sense-?"
Even Vanny looked at a loss, "I'm afraid I don't understand it as much as I sound. Like you, let's keep in mind, I'm just code in origin. I only became more of what I am because I had access to Vanessa's head and learned emotions first-hand. We're programmed to look at things logistically and make pragmatic decisions. So anything that looks paranormal or sits within the realms of... the intangible, it eludes us completely. Can't be helped- I just don't think bots, let alone people, can ever truly understand remnant and its effects. As to your question-" She hummed, "I think it does just... stop, if that person passes on completely or... by fire. Most of the time, fire seems to 'cleanse' the presence of this person's remnant inside these pieces."
Bonnie only hummed at that. "Okay, so. Back to the endos- You say some of these get these pieces and start manifesting personalities, or shadows of one?"
She bobbed her shoulders, "Yes. Bonnie's 'psych' profile, his character blueprint, he's always been described as a 'prideful, boastful, somewhat lazy rabbit'. Your endo, the baby you, betrayed 'signs' of these base traits, and the personality chip you have was programed to fine tune what was already there: And thus, Bonnie B. Bunny, the Glamrock, was born. Not every endo has the same traits you exhibited: So congrats, you stood out from the other blanks here, even in development!"
He snorted, crossing his legs and shaking his head. They've already been sitting here a while, but still Bonnie found that she may not be finished. He only cocked his head at her as she furthered her explanations. He didn't imagine he'd get a crash course for his personality today, but here he was.
"-Now while the chip was extensively worked on and programming heavily refined, I do have to remind you that personality in A.I still isn't like humans. So this 'ghost' aspect comes into play. This 'piece' has something in it that contains traces of this deceased person- their strongest emotions they've felt at the time of their death. Its not exact... you don't have like, a full 'ghost' or whatever it is in you. Its just a piece of someone or their emotions." She flicked her chin at him, "This allows you to seamlessly transition between certain inflections a bit more easily than clunky A.I programmed cues from an ancient versions of the mimic1. You also feel more like a true organic because of it."
She cocked her head, capturing his gaze again, "If you were a whole 'ghost', you'd probably be more like that person in life FULLY, and you'd even have their memories too. But you aren't: You're still you. The A.I. You are, irrefutably, a bot with only a semblance of this person to help you understand emotions a bit better."
That wasn't much consolation, but Bonnie felt it somewhat helped. He shook his head again, then noticed there was more coming as she went on.
"-When Cassie found you in that back room... I was watching," She spoke with a strange and somewhat... hushed-? Tone. Her brows knitted, "Your body. It wasn't the same as when I left it, as I thought previously. No one's been in that back room since me, I assure you. And you know that too- You can see through the mop bots' eyes. But, as Cassie entered that room-"
She leaned somewhat towards him, her gaze unblinking, "She felt something: It's like, how to explain? It was an instinctual WRONGNESS to you. She actually hesitated on putting you back together, yunno. There's something there she sensed, seeing as she's a living being with a sense of instinct- and Roxy, whose a bot, couldn't pick it up. Instincts in living creatures are an amazing sense of intuition we bots lack. I wouldn't have noticed this wrongness myself if I walked into that room as myself and not as a human."
"What d'ya mean?" Bonnie frowned now, scooting a bit closer and putting himself more eye-level with the tiny girl.
"Your body... it almost... I want to say, STANK, of something spectral. Something anomalous," She elaborated. "It stank like... you know that 'piece' I mentioned? Its like its all OVER you. Like an entire being is trapped in you. Cassie doesn't know it, and I didn't myself at the time. When you woke up, your reaction at seeing Vanessa..." She grinned there, "I've never thought I'd see you so full of fury! But you attacked with a vengeance that spiked the hairs on all of the organic beings around you- Cassie included. She was horrendously frightened of you- not that she'd tell you that to your face."
Bonnie felt his expression slant into shame as that.
Still Vanny went on, "See, it wasn't just because of what you could do to Vanessa that frightened her- but because that same feeling she got in that room, flared up on you right then- RIGHT when you got so angry, you couldn't see or hear anyone else around you. I suspect whatever is wrong with you is associated with your anger or wrath as a result of this... anomaly. You're hyper-aggressive compared to what Bonnie should be- that's definitely abnormal and new. And while you were always a bit aggressive back then... this behavior in you was cranked to an 11. Your emotions being what they are now? Its all new. More volatile. I just assumed you were maybe a little less sane than usual... but dawning back on it, I think there's multiple reasons why you don't seem quite yourself."
Bonnie was unable to comment at this point. He was too afraid to speak up for some reason; staying quiet and mesmerized by her words as she continued.
"I think... in the time you were in that room, I dunno what it is, but you changed. And I don't mean because your brain was sealed in the digital network and you were isolated and aware for so many months. You're irrefutably different and even the other bots noticed," She raised a brow at him as well, looking, for all intents and purposes, just as engaged with this talk as he. "Your friends are still the same... you though? Not by a long shot. I think you have a nearly whole person rattling around in there somewhere inside you. It felt like it... I dunno how they could've got there, but my guess would be... someone you knew in life that was attached to you anchored themselves to you when they died. You must've meant a LOT to someone. That or... someone you killed anchored themselves there."
"...The manager," Bonnie mumbled. "I... I killed him. I- Right before I was decommissioned-"
Vanny's wicked grin immediately flashed across her face, throwing back her head and laughing cruelly at his expense. "OH MY GOD! NO WAY. No way the manager attached himself to you! That'd be cosmically hilarious!"
"Oh HELL no!" Bonnie got up and paced around, once again dragging claws through his mussed, dirty hair.
Vanny just kept laughing like a madman. She even leaned against the wall and wheezed. "Oh my god- that'd totally explains your fury! Bet your old boss just has a special brand of hatred in there somewhere for you!"
"But that- Of all things-" Bonnie croaked helplessly.
She just shrugged, "Hey, I didn't make the rules! So tell me, you remember anything weird or something that doesn't belong? Like a memory that isn't yours?"
Bonnie didn't even blink at that point, couldn't even break eye contact there. His right eye twitched once, but that was it. He eventually shook his head no- and she frowned there.
"Hm. So then-" She pressed, truly sounding interested in him. "What about feeling things that don't belong to you? Like beyond your little temper problem?"
Now the blue rabbit couldn't focus anymore- not beyond intrusively lingering on her impossible and definitely not scientific words. He sat there for the longest minute, weighing his own emotions and what he's felt upon waking up. Even with his motor replaced, something was up.
Bonnie must've been sitting there for two straight minutes before he was up and walking away from her. Vanny merely laughed at his back as he paced the room and headed to the door.
"OH MY GOD- HAHA! Now wait a second- I thought you wanted to talk to me," She called back with some lingering humor.
Bonnie placed a paw on the door, his back to her. He flicked an irritated ear to her. "I do... but not about this," he rasped. "I think I'm done. I don't- I don't want this. I don't want to hear anymore of this. This-" He waved a free paw around in a circle, "This was already a lot- and I haven't asked you what I wanted answered today! Think I'll just-"
"Daw, come on. Come sit back down with me," She giggled. "I mean, really, now since you showed interest in me, and I want to show interest in YOU, you want to run off? Didn't think you a coward after all this time!"
Bonnie growled, the noise so deep it nearly went sub-sonic.
"You came in here and wanted me to talk to you, right? Give you some answers? That's what I'm doing. Can't I ask you the questions now that you have?" She sounded oh-so innocent; mocking him on every level he can think of.
To which end, he ignored. Save for one thing, "I came in here to ask what's your connection to this spring Bonnie... our own link to our creation... You did all that. Although-" He frowned as he realized there was still one question left all this. "Now I wonder... what do you plan on doing to Cassie? You're still in her head... and you could kill her at any time, huh? But you haven't." He walked back to her partially, narrowing his eyes, "I don't suppose you can say?"
She shrugged. "-I'm sure you've already gather that its for leverage's sake. But it also ties into you remaining as my focus: I want to see you for myself: to see the new YOU in full detail. The result of Mr. Afton's passions, this other person- this wrathful, horrid, angry being inside you- I want to know him and his influence on you fully. This new Bonnie, to see where the A.I blurs into the organic being. To find the line that divides the bot from the being. As an A.I myself, I am now genuinely interested in this experiment. As for the girl-"
She gave him a pleasant giggle- a contorted version of Cassie's own usual one, "Well... I already dumped a lot on you today... maybe I should save it? Let you go flailing around with the Mimic and the amalgamation beast out there." She shrugged dismissively at him. "We could keep sitting here discussing this stuff, or you can resume your day. I shouldn't keep you-"
Bonnie snarled, half-tempted to just leave the room like he intended to do originally- as it was, Vanny did dump a lot of information on him. To have confirmation of the fact that he and his friends have bits and bobs of some haunted pieces of metal in them to give them actualized emotions was one thing- but to learn that he was apparently being partially controlled by a whole being -let alone maybe his DAMN manager- was another. And now, apparently Vanny didn't want to bring back this spring Bonnie guy anymore, but wanted himself for observations sake? And now she was choosing to keep to herself her intentions with Cassie?
Oh no. He wasn't going to leave it at that.
He snarled, then stepped towards her and stopped half-way across the room with his arms folded. He waited for her to continue.
She merely smiled at his willingness to stay, "You've always been a glutton for punishment, huh?"
"I don't think I'd be a proper Bonnie if I wasn't," He reluctantly admitted. "Now, quit your pandering: Finish what you have to say."
"Ah well, alright. Only because you're adorable when you're angry."
Bonnie clenched his jaw, "So, what's your plan for Cassie? You gonna kill her? You say you got bored of just killing kids so... just wondering."
She shrugged at him, "You'd be surprised to know that even I get lonely," She shrugged. "Out of all the children I met... the months I rotted away here waiting for a new host- I won't lie, when Cassie put the mask on and I got a feel for her head, it was something like-" She paused thoughtfully. "It was... different. Its a wholly fresh perspective. And then she started resisting the M.X.E.S and delving deeper into this horrid prison for a single friend in the manner she did-"
She finally looked at Bonnie for what felt to be the first time since their conversation began. Her gaze almost seemed to behold wonder in it, "I thought it was sheer stupidity and desperation there. But, with time to sit and reflect on what she was feeling, I saw something else: It was still stupidity, don't get me wrong, but she wasn't reckless or utterly fool-hardy. I actually LIKE Cassie- in a way, she's gotten into MY head!" She laughed when Bonnie's face rightfully changed there, "Ha! You should see the look on your face right now. You don't actually believe I can like someone, can you?"
"...Eh, no. Not really. You come off as a criminally self-absorbed zealot psychopath so... yeah, I'm a teensy bit surprised," Bonnie admitted.
"If I didn't like you, you would've been dead sooner, Bonnie," She chortled. "I am capable of liking something, beyond my work."
He shrugged. "Okay, fair point. So, you got to liking Cassie. Then what?"
"Well, I learned she's as lonely as I am! I spent so long in solitude, see, in the months since the PizzaPlex closed-" She sighed. "Nothing gave me any satisfaction in all this time I was trapped here- not even messing with those teenagers who crept in here sometimes was fun anymore. I was pretty much as pinned down here about as well as you were in that back room- being just a mask that's lying around, waiting for someone to pick it up? I guess its karma."
She sounded... wistful? He couldn't parse it out.
"Now back to Cassie, she's so eager to cling to the idea of companionship- desperate and willing to go to any extreme for her loved ones- this kind of unfounded loyalty is-" She blinked, and now that Bonnie can actually see nuanced facial expressions, betrayed a sort of baffled wonder on the girl's face. "-Its... different. Out of all the humans I've been in the heads of now... Vanessa, the teenagers, some staff... none are quite like her. And really, I think I can lean on that. Cassie's eagerness and crippling fear of loneliness will make her an excellent protege of mine!"
"Proto- Oh lord. Didn't know you were in the market for adoption," Bonnie blinked. "But surely you'd get bored and kill her off eventually?"
"No... I don't think so," Even Vanny sounded thoughtful there. "Like I said: Cassie's different. Most humans I've been inside of are shallow and insecure in ways that annoy me. It makes me WANT to kill them. Her own insecurities meanwhile, while not dissimilar in a way, aren't completely self-absorbed either. And she has a complexity to her despite her age... it opened my eyes. And you were right-"
Her smile returned, but it was not quite the manner in which she usually held it, "Having been inside organic bodies as often as I am, I feel the differences and shifts in their moods. More subtle than what bots feel. And while bots like yourself are programmed to simulate emotions quite well, there'll always be a divide between A.I and humans. Your emotions are... a bit more limited and singularly focused. You can feel a couple emotions at once, but no more (which brings us back to the use of remnant in your components, incidentally). Meanwhile humans... they can feel a whole host of several things at any one time. The differences are extreme!"
When he remained silent, she then nailed home, "I think I can turn Cassie into my own little shadow! It'd be something I can do with myself, seeing as killing by itself doesn't have the luster it used to have."
Bonnie snapped his teeth and got back into her face, "I ain't gonna let you keep this girl. I WILL find a way to free her from you. I fucking will."
"Oh! Another game! GOODY," She would've clapped there, could she do so. "By all means! Try!"
He blinked at her, then pulled away. He will never understand this daft creature before him- no matter how long he sat with her.
Vanny finished her bout of laughter, then, "How about this, I can even do you one better: I can release my hold on Cassie's mind, COMPLETELY, if you do me one small favor. Just one!"
He growled.
She assumed it was his version of 'continue', and continue she did, "Abandon your friends. Leave them behind. You take Cassie and you both come find me. Hell, I'll even let them leave the PizzaPlex and I won't hunt them down anymore-" She inclined her head, "I have no use for them. As it were, I have more interest in YOU and Cassie now as beings than I do in murdering your silly little posse. I'm bored of aimless killing, as I've said earlier. You are easily more interesting than anyone I've had the pleasure of dealing with my whole life through. You are the epitome of Afton's ambitions for his animatronics! And Cassie? I just like her. You both are my focus now. Nothing else matters."
She actually laughed there, and it wasn't cracked or maniacal. Just, humorous. "The crusty old man Afton, he can keep pushing daisies if you come with me. You can have Cassie back. Her WHOLE self, untouched and free of my influence, and your friends can have their lives! Ain't that swell? Everyone wins! OH! I can also help with that tangled beast or that outdated Mimic thingy- if you say yes!"
"Wha- How'd you even be able to do so?" He sneered at her, teeth flashing.
"I know where they are, for one. Second, I know you want them gone. And finally, they're BOTH a pain to me as well as your friends," She bobbed her shoulders. "Its mutual benefit at this point. We both eliminate our shared enemies, and you get to keep your friends lives, and you can have Cassie back. I only want you and her to myself."
Bonnie had his turn to sneer; throwing back his head and cackling cruelly. Vanny raised a speculative brow, "And what makes you think I wouldn't just find you, kill you, and take the girl to a hospital after I help my friends eliminate the Mimic and the giant thingy? Hm? Tell me. Persuade me to leave. Give me a good enough explanation, and I'll leave right now!"
Vanny stood up, walking the girl over to Bonnie. She had to look up into his face, "With this transmitter inside the girl's head, I can kill her at any given moment. But, I don't have to kill her... I like her too, as I said. I could, oh, I dunno... mess her up permanently? Make her into a mini me? By messing with her personality and heart? That wouldn't be preferrable now, would it? In the time it took for you to get her help, it'll be too late for her."
He inhaled there, and to which end, he could give no answer.
Vanny shrugged Cassie's shoulders casually, "There's also one more thing: keep in mind that, in the time you've all spent looking for me and dealing with your enemies, I already made copies of my personality blueprint in some of the endos in the building and backup my consciousness a few times. You will be fighting me ALL the time. And even when you leave, you will continue to fight me for all time. But if you do this for me... I will rescind any threats, stop backing up more of myself, and let you have ME personally. You can have the girl too, fully intact and well, and untouched in any capacity."
"And... pray tell, how would I know you even mean that? You and I both like to cheat," Bonnie grinned ironically.
"We do, I'm afraid... but if you can believe me when I say that I don't want to hurt Cassie, then you can believe that I will let you have her as herself, if you do this. I'd prefer to not hurt her in order to get you. I could cheat right now and drop her dead in front of you by having her bite her tongue- but all that'd do is piss you off, and you'll be stuck warring with me and my copies of myself for all the rest of your functional days in the pursuit of mad vengeance... And frankly, we'd both get tired of that-" She glanced askance there, her expression contemplative.
She even rolled her eyes on the idea, "I can think of a million things I'd rather do with my days as a functional being than keep fighting you for the next hundred years or however long you maintain that body or move your conscious into another one. Fighting starts to get... wow, I can't believe even I'm saying this, but its... pointless. Redundant, after a long enough time. We are immortal beings, in technicality-" She stated blandly. "What's the point of this fighting if there's no purpose to it after a time? Beyond alleviating boredom?"
He said nothing there.
"Imagine us killing each other and our copies of ourselves for the next century or something? Locked in constant digital warfare! It'll get old and annoying!" She snorted there. "I'm giving you an option for a truce here, Bonnie. I truly cannot mean it MORE. I love playing our games, but it will bore me, and it'll bore you. Maybe, we can make our endless living a little less painful?" She smirked, "And you know me: I HATE boring."
The blue rabbit passed a glance over his shoulder, then back at her, "And Cassie? You say you'd let her be herself, yes? You won't hurt her? But she'd be unhappy with that life-"
"Would you believe me if I said she'd prefer to exist like this instead of staying alone?" She continued. "I saw her memories. She isn't happy, and that's putting it MILDLY. Her foster home right now? They don't care about her. She came here to the PizzaPlex for a random boy she knew and put her life in danger for him because she'd prefer his company over the fact she has family! How depressing is that?"
She shook her head, "She'd give anything for companionship now. ANYTHING. And if it means she gets to have you in her life, than you know, irrefutably, she'd lay down her young life for it. She already has- she vowed vehemently to fix all of you like you and your friends, a bunch of expensive toys, are more important than her own life. That couldn't have been more crippling to listen to- You scare her when you woke up, and yet she stayed beside you, even then."
Bonnie could only stare at that, unable to comment or backhand her verbally.
Vanny pulled Cassie back, "She loves you all. That couldn't be more earnest... its... cute. Stupid, but cute. And really, I find it to be a... interesting facet of her personality." She blinked, "Even I think I've been in her head too long. With that said, go ahead and sit on it, if you want. If you want to keep talking to me about this deal, we can. I have all the time in the world, and its not like I'm doing anything interesting." She bobbed her shoulders and returned to her corner of the room, "I'll be here if you need me for anything."
Bonnie watched her unblinkably for a long and painful moment, unable to say or do anything beyond simple observation. He sighed, "How about we just... have a truce, take out the Mimic and tangle thing, then worry about this? I ain't in the mood to keep dealing with your shit if you ain't in the mood for mine."
"Hn... maybe. Perhaps," She giggled.
Bonnie blinked out of sync again, then pondered something else, "By chance... next time I come in here, will you let the girl at least eat and do normal human things? Please?"
"I can. I can even do so now," She shrugged.
He hated the innocent way she put that. He glared at her now, "You want something ELSE, huh? Even after all that-"
"Only if you don't tell anyone about what I said. That's it," She shrugged.
"I... didn't plan on telling them," He mumbled.
"You are such a hypocrite," She snirked at him.
His ears flattened to his neck, his gaze on the floor. At least he looked ashamed.
"You love your secrets. You are by far, the strangest bot of them all and I adore you for it," she stated oh-so flatly. "The rest of your friends would at least TRY to tell each other what I said. Literally, everyone else seems to come clean with each other, but not you?"
When he said nothing, her smile returned full force. She murmured, "I knew I liked you for a reason."
"I'd appreciate it you don't talk to me like that from a kid's body," He hissed.
"Say yes to leaving them, come on."
Another long inhalation, then he went to leave the room. Just as he stopped at the door though, he sighed and looked back over his shoulder, "You want us to not go after you. Right? Just, stop searching for you, and Cassie will be okay? After all this."
"Yes, and I get to eventually keep you and her," She smiled.
He didn't reply. He just left the room. And all he could hear was her laughing at his back all the while.
She was right though, and they both knew it. Bonnie hadn't planned on saying anything of this to the others despite his earlier assurance of no more secrets. But he was juggling Cassie's life here, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do for her. Vanny had the girl in a hostage situation- and if she was right, Cassie could be altered if she really wanted to. Still, Bonnie had to at least explain something to his friends. To let them know why Cassie was herself again. He assumed he can make up a lie about the M.X.E.S kicking her out, and that way he can avoid mentioning the deal in its entirety. It was flimsy, but it was all he can think.
With that plan in mind, he opened the door to the cylinder room, finding Vanessa and Gregory sitting up with the labtop in hand. He squinted, "Er... wassup? Why the long faces?"
"I can't find Roxy," Vanessa said. "She's blocked all communications-"
"What?"
Gregory frowned, "I think... she went to look for Vanny on her own-?"
Bonnie felt his jaw drop. He stalked over and knelt beside her, peering into the labtop even though he can see from his Hud what she meant. "ALONE? Oh no-" He pulled back like a panicked horse, once again his talons blazing trails in his hair. "Fucking- no. No no. No fucking- Shit! ROX!"
His yell had both the humans jumping- only for them to realize he was just trying to ping her. Indeed, as Vanessa said, there was no pings allowed. Bonnie's expression contorted, then he was glaring at them.
"I'm going to go find her ass and drag it back here. You two stay here and watch Cassie," He gustily inhaled, then turned to leave-
"I think we should let her," Vanessa folded her arms, sounding rather calm.
Bonnie stopped right then, glancing at her over his shoulder.
"Think about it: While I agree the buddy system has saved us thus far, it cannot hold up with the amount of problems we have now. I still think you going to find her is good- I'm not saying you shouldn't do that," The former guard went on to say. "But once you found her, you both can find Vanny and kick her ass. And if somehow you don't find Roxy, at least with you two spread out, you'd cover more ground more quickly. So if you find her, you both don't need to be returning here. I can watch Greg and Cassie on my own."
Bonnie leveled her a flat look, ears pinned to his head in annoyance, "You, Cassie and Gregory need to be protected as it is- and a bot is needed for that. Leaving you right now? I really wish I didn't have too- But if I find her, why would I not come back, on that note?"
Gregory had his turn to glare, "I don't think either of us care right now. Getting Cassie free of Vanny is all that matters! Just get the hell out and save her, wouldja?"
He blinked, inhaled, then his naked shoulders sagged. The expression on his face couldn't be more pained. "I'll be back," was all he said before he left. "And stay in radio contact with Freddy and the others."
"You make sure to find Vanny and bring me her head," Vanessa sneered. "I want to piss on it, burn it, and put it in a meat grinder and turn into plastic dust."
The rabbit blinked at her in surprise, nodded again, and shut the door behind him.