Mable: Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Twenty-One
It was funny how so much and so little could change in only a matter of weeks. Mike had gotten accepted into Charlie's university but hadn't started yet, Jeremy had started apartment shopping again but hadn't been looking too hard, Carlton had decided to get back involved with the community theater, Scott's microwave died- life went on as usual without changing very much.
Then without much warning, Natalie abruptly got the date for the Pizzaplex's opening.
After nights fraught with paranoia, no signs of the rabbit but suspecting she was there, and having her whole sleep schedule entirely obliterated, the date was suddenly announced by Chaz when she came in one night. Only two weeks out too; Chaz suggested that Fazbear Entertainment was eager to start getting revenue in and Natalie wasn't too doubtful of that.
As expected by everyone, the reaction wasn't a great one. Not nearly as bad as the reveal of the new Freddy's coming, but almost as anxiety-inducing. Frustration and nervousness spread throughout the pizzeria as everyone came to terms to the fact that there was nothing stopping this. All things considering, they handled it pretty well. Especially Foxy who reacted with an almost fanatic obsession with increasing business that lasted a few days.
After a few days this temper cooled down and Foxy realized he couldn't fit more birthday parties, games, or holidays into an already packed schedule. Then he went through a brief period of depression, during which Jeremy spent a couple of nights at Pirate's Cove with him, before recovering to business as usual. Or at least, back to some form of normality.
During this entire process, and those two weeks, Foxy made no attempts to return to the Pizzaplex. He had made a promise that he wouldn't- though Jeremy never went through with asking him not to- and hadn't gone back on his word. He did think about Freddy a few times, increasingly moreso the closer it got to opening day. The Pizzaplex itself and the future coming right after it opened were frequently on his mind.
Yet it wasn't until two days before opening that Foxy suddenly realized this was probably his last chance to be able to sneak into the Pizzaplex, and for some reason he wanted to. Part of it was just to get intel from Freddy, but the other part was just some intense need to do something more than sit around his own pizzeria and listen to what was happening far down the highway. Still, he resisted the urge and mulled it over for a day.
The day before opening was deemed his last chance and that was when he made his decision.
"Lad, can I speak with ya a second? In the office," Foxy asked Jeremy. The blond agreed without much convincing and set the just emptied trash can aside to follow him into the office.
The pizzeria had already closed, and the employees were going to be heading home soon, with the tenseness of the upcoming opening looming on the horizon. The plan was to be open for business as usual and hopefully snare any customers unable to afford the Pizzaplex's exuberant prices. Even knowing the Pizzaplex was opening down the street, they were going to do their best to fight back against it.
That is, after Foxy snuck over there one more time. It only seemed ridiculous if he really thought about it.
Once they were in the office and Jeremy had shut the door behind them, Foxy went for it.
"Jer'my, I've been thinkin'… I'm just gonna come out and say it. I'm thinkin' of goin' back to the Pizzaplex," he confessed. Jeremy's brows raised in surprise. "Now I ain't goin' over there to start trouble! I just want to get a good idea what we're up against fer tomorrow an' what's changed since I last be over there. I'd soon enough just call Freddy to give me the dirt, but that ain't an option." His ears twitched back. "And I know it's a foolish risk, but y'know… I take a lot 'o those."
Honestly, Jeremy wasn't surprised that Foxy was wanting to go back and see Freddy- even if he was wording it more like a recon mission than a friendly visit. He was more surprised that the pirate had been so forthright about it.
"Are you sure? This could be a little riskier than you're used to. They might have people working late getting ready for the grand opening," Jeremy forewarned.
"Aye, that be a risk…" Foxy agreed. He slowly, almost coyly raised his eye from the floor. "If I got caught."
"They might notice a guy in burglar gear hanging out in Freddy's room," Jeremy said, betraying a small smile. Foxy nodded in almost reluctant agreement.
He was expecting to be told not to go and if that was the case then he wouldn't. Any desire to go against authority didn't apply to Jeremy. If anything, Jeremy was standing in for his voice of reason, and he wasn't about to argue with him.
"I guess it depends on what's going on in there tonight," the blond offered. That took the pirate off-guard, and he looked to him with surprise.
"So… Yer sayin' you'd be okay with me goin'?" he asked.
"If it's just Freddy and Natalie? I think so." Foxy's tense shoulders dropped in relief. "…Under one condition." They rose right back up again. "That you tell Natalie and that we take every precaution we can to make sure you're safe."
"Lad, I ain't gonna let the rabbit get me, if that's what your worried about," Foxy said with moderate amusement and a hint of sourness.
"No offense, but I'm way more afraid of Natalie taking you out if you don't get her okay to go," Jeremy joked. He didn't want Foxy to know that he was actually concerned by this alleged rabbit, but he was also relatively confident that he could handle himself if confronted by a normal human in a costume. At least, Natalie had been doing so for a while. All he knew was that he preferred letting Foxy go under precautions than get the wild urge to sneak off alone when he was upset.
That was how he got Foxy to agree and how Natalie got brough into the office and conversation. Fritz too, save that he was more sitting on the couch as moral support. Natalie sat beside him with a very unenthused look. Either she already knew what they were about to ask her about, or she was just thoroughly exhausted from the night before and not up to any conversation.
Foxy sat on the other side of the desk and let Jeremy, who was standing beside it, discuss their plan. He thought hearing it from him would give it some credibility.
"So, we thought it might be good to get a better idea of what we're in for tomorrow. Freddy's been pretty open with information, we've just got to get Foxy in there so he'll give it," Jeremy explained reasonably.
Natalie's eyes were lidded in what was either or both disapproval and exhaustion. She looked between the two before bluntly stating, "You know this is a bad idea, right?"
"Well… Yes, but it's not much different than what you're doing," Jeremy said matter-of-factly. "Did those technician guys say if they were going to be working late tonight or that anybody else was?"
"They didn't say that to me, but that doesn't mean they won't be there. They're having a hard time getting all the Staff bots to roll where they're supposed to; chances are that if they don't stay late then they're coming in early," she pointed out. "Plus, that rabbit girl is still in there. I haven't been able to catch her in the act, but she's been leaving little notes and circling the office for days."
"…She left more notes?" Jeremy's voice fell in unease as Foxy leaned up in his seat. "What did they say…?"
"Same as usual. 'I see you', 'turn around,'- and she's been getting closer than I thought. Last week came back from my rounds to find a piece of paper rolled up and jammed in my soda. It was a torn piece of poster of Chica chopping her own hand off."
"Oh wow…" Jeremy mumbled.
"The blazes-?!" Foxy countered.
"It was a food safety poster. I've seen the around. The point is: it was creepy," Natalie said incredulously. She leaned back on the couch. "She's been quiet for the last few days. I don't trust it. I think she's going to start something."
"…All the more reason for Foxy to be there!" Jeremy exclaimed. He gestured to Foxy who raised his hook as though volunteering.
Natalie looked between them with that less than impressed look. This time even Fritz got a twitch on the corner of his mouth but had decided not to say anything.
"Foxes and rabbits be mortal enemies after all," Foxy tacked on. It didn't sound as clever as he thought it would, but it avoided the awkward silence. "I know the risk and I ain't gonna get cocky and blow this fer us, but this'll be me last chance to go in and get info out of Freddy. Chances are after tonight the place is gonna be locked up tighter than Fort Knox, iff'n they finally get their security working."
Natalie was going to again dissuade this idea when she caught herself and thought for a long moment. An almost sympathetic look crossed her features, but her eyes were trained towards the wall, so she wasn't thinking of Foxy likely.
"…You know what? Okay, you can go," she finally agreed. The sudden agreement surprised both Jeremy and Foxy while Fritz tentatively got a confused look. "But it's not for you, it's for Freddy. He asks about you constantly and I know tomorrow is a big day for him. It's not just him going up on stage, once those protocols kick in Freddy's going to be grounded. He's going to be on the clock twenty-four seven."
Foxy was hit by a wave of discomfort. He knew what she was saying was true, because he had seen the Pizzaplex and put together from the photo pass alone that Freddy's autonomy didn't matter. He just hadn't really thought about it until now.
"…Besides, I could use a night off from twenty questions," Natalie tacked on. "So, you have my blessing… Foxy?"
"Er- Ah ha! Brilliant!" Foxy praised as he shot up in his seat. "Now here's how we do it. I'll be leavin' 'round ten and should get to the-."
"No, no, no, we're not doing that 'run down the highway' thing again. One of us we'll have to drive you down there. I'll drive you down there," Jeremy assured. Foxy hummed and nodded in agreement; there was nothing to argue with there. "And then I can set the alarm and come pick you up at six," he continued.
"Whoa, whoa, Lad. Hold up," Foxy protested, raising a hand to effectively cut him off. "Unless yer plannin' on takin' tomorrow off-." He briefly lowered his voice to add, "Which I be totally fine with iff'n ya do." Jeremy got a little smile at that. "-I ain't havin' ya run on that little sleep. You can take me up 'er ya can pick me up, but yer not doin' both."
"Well… Might be a little easier if I pick you up then. I can go to bed a little earlier and pull it off without much trouble," Jeremy considered. Then he gave a more confident thumbs up. "I'll be there at six."
"Five forty-five at latest. You don't want to run into any early morning work crews," Natalie suggested.
"But if you do run into Chaz, pretend you're me and rough him up a bit," Fritz asked. She sent him a look, he returned a smile, and she got one too before nudging him dismissively.
"Five forty-five!" Jeremy amended, same thumbs up. "…But you're still not legging it. Mike could probably take you up there."
"I… don't think that's a good idea," Natalie interjected again. She sighed and lowered her voice, "Look, you know I love Mike to death, but if he goes to drop Foxy off, Mari will come with him and somehow they'd figure out a reason to go inside, and then I've got a whole posse of people I have to watch on top of the Staff bots I'm stuck babysitting." Her voice betrayed her stress and worry all at once.
…
"What did they say about us?" Mike whispered.
"You can't drop off Foxy. You would bring me, and we would end up sneaking inside," Marionette quietly answered, currently listening against the office door.
"Great. There goes our plans for the evening."
…
Fritz sympathetically rubbed a hand over Natalie's back before adding. "Not to mention that you're probably going to be down for the count tomorrow. We need at least one performer whose awake or Charlie's going to be swamped."
"Bah! Ya don't think I've done me fair share of late nighters?" Foxy smoothly dismissed. "But point taken. I'll find another ride."
"I'll just drive you myself," Natalie said. At first it was an exasperated agreement, but then she started to think about it. "…Actually, that might work for us. I'll park beside the Pizzaplex and head inside while you wait out in the car until midnight. If I see workers inside or hear anything, I'll say I forgot something in my car and come out to warn you and call someone to pick you up. If not, you're in the clear and can sneak in."
"Sounds like a bloody good idea to me," Foxy agreed. He got up from the office chair and began to slowly pace behind the desk, his arms folded behind him. "That'll give me more than enough time to get in, find Freddy, get him to cough up what he knows…" He stopped to look towards Natalie, then after a second, he pointed to her. "And keep an eye out fer this rabbit chick."
"You don't have to do that," Natalie assured.
"Maybe that's not a good idea?" Jeremy quietly agreed.
"I ain't sayin' I'm goin' to start somethin', but maybe it's about time someone gave her a wake-up call. She thinks she's played with fire and won, but Freddy's got nothing on me. One night with a real Freddy mascot-." He swung his hook forward, cutting through the air with a quick 'whoosh'. "-And she ain't gonna be yer problem anymore."
Natalie knew she needed to protest this, but instead her mouth tightened, and she looked downwards like she was considering it. Both Foxy and Fritz noticed this quietness odd compared to how vocal she was earlier. Though it went briefly forgotten when a small bump at the door caused Foxy's head to shoot up.
"Whose out there?" he called.
"…It's me!" a voice that sounded like Louise's but was very clearly Marionette answered back. Foxy groaned and got a look resembling the one Natalie had when she came in.
"So much fer keepin' this between us," he sighed. He shook his head before looking between the three. "So that's the plan, mateys. We shove off before the clock strikes eleven."
"Ya seem nervous."
"How can you tell?" If it wasn't the way she was driving rigidly upright or how she stared transfixed at the road, it was probably the way she flinched when suddenly posed with the question after five minutes of silence.
Foxy was sitting in the backseat, sitting across the seats with an arm across the back and his legs crossed in front of him. He had put on his hoodie and sweats again, and even brought his mask in case he needed it but had decided to wear his head today. He knew it was yet another risk but didn't want another incident of Freddy assuming he was a broken mess. He would just have to be more careful than he was last time.
"You ain't usually this quiet," he said. He tilted his head back to look through the window behind him. "And I see the look in yer eyes. I know that look."
"Okay, you've got me. I'm sort of dreading going in tonight," Natalie confessed. She took a deep breath before explaining, "It's just… Ever since I started working at this place, I've gotten this feeling that something bad's coming. Like instead of getting used to a job over time, I'm feeling worse every time I go back in."
"Spoken like a true employee o' Freddy's!" Foxy said with a chuckle.
She got a little bit of a smile. "Yeah, Fritz said something like that too." Then fell back into silence. Definitely uncomfortable, and who could blame her? Just the idea of being stalked at night had to be harrowing.
Foxy was more the stalker than the stalked when it came to Freddy's, but he knew exactly how it felt to know that soon you would be alone and unsafe and would be forced to struggle through the night without any hope of escape.
"Jokes aside, Lass… I know exactly what you mean," he said. His accent peeling away despite himself. He managed to pull it back together. "There somethin' ya didn't tell Fritz er the others about?"
"No, I've been upfront about everything," she sighed. "…Except this nagging feeling that all this is building up to something and that could be tomorrow. Like the rabbit- I'm not stupid, I know she's playing around with me for a reason. I just don't know what she wants… I think she's trying to scare me off, and I can't help but wonder why."
Foxy hummed signaling her to go on, which she did.
"And the security bots are useless. I'm sorry to say that because Smitty's a sweetheart, sort of." Smitty being the name she gave to her assigned Security bot. Partially named after Mike since he didn't get the night guard job. "But they're not going to catch this woman. Most of the time they're catching each other!" She gave an exasperated huff as she spotted the sign for the Pizzaplex coming up. "I really hope this'll be an easy night."
"If it's any comfort, Lass, I don't plan on making an ass of meself tonight."
Natalie snorted. "That might help."
Foxy chuckled a bit before sinking down as they pulled into the parking lot. So far it didn't look like there were more people than usual, with only Chaz and Stanley's cars parked out front. Natalie parked further out of the way.
"I'm leaving my cellphone in here in case you have to tap out early. It doesn't work in the Pizzaplex anyways," Natalie said. She held up the phone before sticking it into the middle console. "Now once we get inside, we don't know each other. If I see you, I recognize you only as Foxy and I'm treating you like an intruder, even if you're alone or it looks like nobody's around. I've got to stay in character."
"Fine by me, Lass. Don't be offended if I bolt at the sight of ya," Foxy said. Considering the situation, she appreciated it.
"Alright. Be careful."
"Same. Take care, Nat."
With that, he watched her walk towards the entrance of the Pizzaplex and settled in for a long wait. Typically, the type to hunker down and let time pass when he needed to, he was feeling antsy, as he expected to. Eventually he fished out Natalie's cellphone and after a moment to remember a specific number, he dialed it up. It was answered after only a ring.
"Hello?" Fritz asked. He already sounded worried.
"It's just me, mate. Here's the deal: when Nat gets home tonight you make sure to take care of her. She ain't doin' so hot."
"What happened?"
"Nothin' happened; she's just stressed out. I know the Freddy fidgets when I see 'em. They're bothering her a lot more than she's lettin' on," Foxy confessed. Normally he wouldn't immediately turn around and tell someone else about a conversation he had in private- which was why he wasn't giving out details- but this felt necessary. "Don't tell her I called, yeah?"
"I won't, I won't… but thanks for the heads up. I noticed she seemed a little on edge. Maybe I can put something together before she gets home. Be careful in there. I'm guessing you're not in yet."
"Nah. Waitin' fer midnight," Foxy said. "…Guess I'll let ya go. Til tomorrow."
"Sure thing. Take care."
The call ended and it was back to sitting and waiting. Antsy, tapping his hook on the door and window behind him and waiting for time to pass. Trying his hardest not to check his internal clock and letting his mind wander. Freddy was probably going to be overwhelming to deal with after so long of not seeing him. Clingy and eager with attention, heaping on that mindless praise and impressed with the smallest thing. Foxy was almost looking forward to the ego boost.
He knew exactly when it flipped to midnight by the shift inside. He could still feel that turning point, that second wind, even now that he no longer followed the nightly cycle of prowling from midnight to six. He had heard the other cars start up and drive off a bit ago- later than usual, but he wouldn't know that. He waited a few more minutes before slipping out of the car and making his way to the vent.
In the weeks since his last visit, Fazbear Entertainment had somehow noticed the open vent inside of the Pizzaplex but not the one leading to it on the outside, and the one they closed on the inside they didn't even do a good job with. Foxy still decided to come in through a different vent and managed to find his way to the same general area, as to not arise suspicion.
It wasn't until he got into the atrium that he noticed the changes since his last visit. While the room was still dimly lit, many of the neon lights and signs were on, prepped for opening the next day. It reminded him of a movie theater primed for the airing of a film. There was also music playing, though what was odd was that it was coming from two different sources. A dull elevator music coming from some speakers by the food court, and a louder echo from the direction of the stage.
There was nobody on the stage though and as Foxy got closer, he realized it seemed to be coming from past it, through the wall. Which explained why the vocals were too dull to make sense of the lyrics. Shrugging it off initially, Foxy continued into Rockstar Row with the intention of seeking out Freddy. The music got louder once he got into the hall outside of the green rooms.
Now closer, Foxy noticed that the singing voice sounded suspiciously similar to Freddy Fazbear himself, but he assumed it was a recording until he peeked into the crack through the curtain to see that Freddy wasn't in his room. His door was unlocked too, allowing Foxy to walk straight in and see for himself that Freddy was missing. He considered waiting in the room for Freddy to return, but curiosity was one of Foxy's Achilles heels.
He wandered down Rockstar Row until coming on a nondescript automatic door that opened into a small room with stacks of chairs and large murals of Freddy's band mates on the wall. Foxy initially paid them no mind and instead made his way to the second automatic door. The moment it opened he was hit by the full brunt of the music and, though he still hadn't seen him, he knew from the echo that it was Freddy himself singing.
The door opened up behind some cubbies in a corner assumedly used for storage. It ended up being his protection when he peered around the corner to see that other than a fence-like wall, which he could see directly through, he would be completely exposed. Because Freddy was not alone.
The room looked to be some kind of large band recital room. Though the pedestals and staging seemed to be set up more along the lines for a high school band recital than a rock band, it was the latter who currently used it for their devices. Freddy was there with his entire band, and it was the first time Foxy had seen them outside of photos.
First there was Glamrock Chica, who looked nothing like the Chica Foxy had been familiar with. Resembling the posters and toons, she was tall and slender, with the same plating as Freddy save painted in a white and pink color scheme. She was standing on the second step of a three-step bandstand, her fingers dancing over the strings of an electric guitar. She kept her eyes angled down as her hips swayed to the beat.
Standing close to her was Roxanne Wolf, who had her back angled towards Foxy. So, the first thing that stood out to him was that unlike him, she had a fluffy tail that matched her wild hair. Though instead of feeling jealous, Foxy felt a little relieved he didn't have to learn how to sit around an extra appendage. Her instrument looked sort of like a keytar and one of her legs jumped a little as she played.
Monty was sitting on the third step of the band stand with a bass resting in his lap. He was playing, but he had his head turned down and his eyes shielded by his sunglasses. His size, though about the same as Freddy's, was slightly more intimidating. Though it could've just been the aura of unapproachability that radiated from him. Definitely the rock star type if Foxy ever saw one.
Then there was Freddy, with one leg hiked up on the first step and a microphone held close to his mouth as he sung.
"They're gonna brand our names in neon lights, we're gonna make it big on a Friday night! We're gonna paaaiint thiiiis tooown red!~" Freddy sung against the guitar thrumming. "Gonna put myyy feeeaaaars to bed!~" He paused for a slide of the keytar that ended with a slow ascend of the keys. "Because if I can't live myyy liiiife…~" There was a pause, a chuckle. "Then I'd rather be… Fred.~"
Foxy could just hear the cue for the wink and felt a degree of secondhand embarrassment. Which was a shame because up until that line, the song actually didn't sound too bad. Freddy had a rough sort of voice, but it did sound good.
It was so surreal seeing Freddy performing like a real rockstar. Not stiff like an animatronic but encouraged to be as human as possible. They were even playing their own instruments.
…
And just like that, the floor seemed to suddenly drop out underneath him.
Foxy was familiar with the feeling of crashing, but this one was especially vicious. Suddenly realizing that Freddy, the one he was coming to just to show off that he had a head and prattle on about his successful business, was on such a higher pedestal to him was hard to swallow. Freddy was the closest thing an animatronic got to a rockstar, practicing in their own rehearsal room with his equally skilled band.
Meanwhile Foxy just sung pirate shanties while kids ate cake and played arcade games nearby. He was just a distraction in comparison to the main act he was staring at. It hurt a lot more than he wanted to admit.
He shouldn't even be there. How embarrassing to come strutting around this place when he was a little fish in a big pond. Perhaps Freddy had just been nice, feigning interest in his own meager endeavors to appease him. Maybe it was worse- maybe Freddy was taking a sick enjoyment in patronizing him while he was out of earshot. He didn't seem like the type, but it only occurred to him now that he didn't know Freddy at all.
Suddenly Foxy wanted to get out of this Pizzaplex as fast as he could. He didn't belong here. Though before he had a chance, the song started to die down and he couldn't risk moving and being heard. The music flared and cut off.
Chica gave a celebratory whoop while Freddy sent a beaming smile at his bandmates. "Well done, gang! You all did an excellent job!" he praised. Though right in the same beat, and without any malice, he added on. "Roxy, you played very well, though I think you might have been a little off your mark towards the end."
"Excuse me?" Roxanne retorted. She planted a hand on her hip and looked him over in challenge. "I was dead on."
"I agree, you were! It was just at the end when you desynced with the lyrics, right around the bridge into the final verse. It is not a big deal."
"I take my cues from Monty, so my timing was on-point unless he was off," she said defensively. She looked to the gator for backup. "Were we off?"
Monty seemed out of it. He silently dragged his claws over his bass strings with a spaced-out look.
"We weren't off," Roxanne corrected. "Unless you were off."
"Perhaps, but… I do not believe I was. I also take my cues from Monty, and I began the bridge on his bass strum."
"If you're halfway through a line when I'm starting my riff, then we're not both taking cues from Monty," she said. It was the slight growl in her voice that finally provoked Chica to step in.
"Guys, come on! Let's not fight about this. We're all just getting jitters 'cause we're so siked to finally get up on stage tomorrow!" Chica chirped excitedly. Roxanne turned her head away and chose to remain silent. "…Buuut, you were a tiny bit early, Freddy-bear," Chica said, pinching with her fingers. She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and a wink, "I know you're excited, Big Guy, but you've got to wait for your cue like everybody else."
"Oh! Perhaps I was mistaken. My apologizes, Roxy," Freddy quickly fumbled. She shook her head in a non-descript answer, perhaps just brushing it off.
"Maybe that's a sign that we should take a little break. Oh! How about a midnight snack? I'm totally starving," Chica chirped.
"That sounds good to me!" Freddy agreed.
"Fine. It's not like we're getting anything done here," Roxanne briskly agreed. She then turned and planted a hand on Chica's own shoulder before she could run off, turning her towards her. "Hey, go easy tonight. We've got a big show tomorrow and you can't afford to gum up the works," she reminded, free hand on her own hip. Chica gave a peppy nod and a winking pose.
"Can do! Monty, we're going!" she called. "…Monty!"
Monty's head finally snapped up before he quickly adjusted his sunglasses and stood from his seat. He grumbled something as he followed the three out of the room.
They went from playing their hearts out to coming in Foxy's direction in a surprisingly short amount of time. He quickly turned and retreated through the doors and back into Rockstar Row, looking around for a quick place to retreat. Even at top speed there would be no way to make it back to Freddy's room without being heard or spotted. That was when his gaze fell on some Freddy and Friends cutouts off to the left.
He dashed over, stepped over the barrier, and crouched down behind the widest cutout- one of Monty. He listened as the Glamrock animatronic stepped out from the backstage, none the wiser.
Roxanne came out first and briskly made her way down Rockstar Row to the further exit, the one Foxy had come in. He could hear what he assumed to be Monty's heavy footsteps plodding in the direction of his room.
"Chica," Freddy spoke up, stopping her outside the door. She looked back curiously. "I am… worried about tomorrow," he confessed. His eyes and ears lowered with regret.
"Aww," she cooed. She reached up to pat his cheek. "You worry too much, Honey-Bear. We sound really good!"
"We do, but we have not had much time to rehearse, and not on the main stage. What if we sound different in the atrium? What if we are not prepared for the moving stages?"
"Don't you worry about that. That's for all the techies to worry about! Our job's just to get up there and rock out!" Chica assured with a pump of her fist.
"I suppose…"
"Tell you what, big guy, why don't you come to the bakery with me? We've got cupcake and cookies, I'm sure we'll find the perfect lil pick-me-up!"
At the risk of losing any contact with Freddy and risking the chance of getting caught- and this was regardless of the horrendous epiphany he had moments earlier- Foxy decided to take the plunge and flag down his attention. He stuck out his hook. Freddy, who was somewhat more angled towards the cutouts, spotted the movement immediately and looked over. It took all of his control to quickly look back to Chica while withholding his reaction.
"Actually, I think I might be staying here for a while. You go on without me, I will be fine," Freddy said.
"Mmm, if you're sure. Oh! And take this back to my room for me, will you? Thanks!" Chica eagerly handed off her guitar into Freddy's arms. She then turned her attention to Monty who was returning from his room and thumping past towards the exit by the cutouts. "Hey, Mon-ty! Want to walk me over to my brand-new bakery?"
"No."
Chica made a sort of huff of a noise and thrust her arms down as though pouting. Though then she sent Freddy a friendly wink before following the gator out with a swaying saunter.
Freddy waited until the door shut and he could hear the footsteps walking away before hastily racing over to the cutouts.
"Captain Foxy! I did not expect you to return! How are you?" he greeted warmly. He sounded happy to see him, Foxy considered. Though maybe that was just because some of his friends seemed less than friendly. Swallowing his pride, Foxy stepped out from behind the cutout with exaggerated confidence. Freddy's eyes widened in response. "You have your head on!"
"Thought it was 'bout time to set the record straight," Foxy said cheekily. "Lest ye try draggin' me down to parts and service."
"Certainly not! Though I must admit, it is very good to see you in full working order!" the bear said happily. Foxy knew he was being paranoid because he detected a backhanded compliment that he knew wasn't there. Reality finally caught up with Freddy and his face fell. "Foxy, you should not be here. The security officer knows you were here and if she catches you there will be trouble."
"IF she catches me. Hasn't gotten close so far," Foxy said matter-of-factly. Freddy opened his mouth to interject, but Foxy beat him to it. "…You don't count. Yer a lot faster than the night guard."
"Perhaps, but we should still be careful," Freddy warned. After a pause his eyes seemed to brighten again. "But I am glad you returned! Here, let me put this in Chica's room and then we can go to mine."
It seemed that the doors were purposefully left unlocked tonight as Freddy didn't need to get a pass to walk into Chica's green room. Foxy followed along and unabashedly looked in as the bear carried the guitar over and set it down on the couch. Chica's green room resembled Freddy's own in many ways, with a vanity, sofa, and arcade machine in the same locations. However, the whole room was themed in pink with green accents.
The room reeked of pizza. A quick look around showed that Chica plushies weren't the only thing cluttering up the floor. There was a stack of pizza boxes in the corner, some of them looking like they had been there for a few days at least.
"Got an appetite on her," Foxy thought. He couldn't blame her though; it was hard to stop once you figured out the tasting loophole. "What was that about a bakery?"
"Oh, Chica's Bakery! Or Chica's Bakery and Cupcake Factory. I am not sure what the official name is," Freddy explained. He gently set the guitar on the couch. "It is one of her attractions with the other being Mazercise. They would be to her what Monty Golf is to Monty or what Roxy Raceway is to Roxy," he continued and turned around to face him. "It was not up and running when you were here last. Well, admittedly very little was."
"Her attraction, eh?" Foxy hummed thoughtfully. "So, which one's yers?"
"I am glad you asked! That would be Fazer Blast. It is laser tag but out of this world," Freddy chirped. He sounded more than excited to talk about it. Foxy was almost surprised though that he hadn't mentioned bowling.
"I think I've seen posters up fer that. Ya been in there?"
"I have! Though I have not spent much time there. I assume I will once we open tomorrow, as I am supposed to routinely stop in between shows and VIP visits."
Foxy reluctantly felt a mix of envy and self-consciousness ache in the center of his chest. Rationally he wouldn't have even wanted that little control on his schedule and yet there it was, the disappointment rearing its ugly head yet again. He shook it off fast enough that it didn't tip off Freddy.
"I see… Then how's about we stroll on over there an' check it our fer ourselves?" Foxy suggested. He wasn't sure why he was such a glutton for punishment, but some masochistic part of him genuinely wanted to see it.
Freddy was surprised. "Are you sure? We may be caught walking through the atrium."
"Ah, we'll be careful! How'd ya think I got in here?" Foxy coyly asked. "Unless yer too afraid of rocking the boat."
Freddy considered it for a moment before making his decision and perking up. "Why not? I should get more acquainted while I can, and we can be careful. Just follow close by."
The walk through the atrium was actually less tense than expected. With the lights on, it was easier to see if there was anyone hiding out in the wings, which there wasn't. Apparently the other Glamrocks had gone to their respective attractions and would hopefully stay there for some time. Freddy led him towards the food court before branching into a security door like the one to Kid's Cove, except technically on the exact opposite side of the large room.
The security door opened to reveal the lobby outside of the Fazer Blast entrance and even it was more impressive than it should've been. Above the entrance was "Fazer Blast" in large, red lettering with an illuminated moon on the wall alongside it. To the right of the entrance, he could see a small snack bar labelled "Snack Space" with stairs leading to an upper floor. To the left-.
"That better not be a Ferris wheel."
It was, in fact, a Ferris wheel. Just smaller than an outdoor one and themed with spaceship themed pods. How Fazbear Entertainment could afford this- and why they would proceed to hide it in here instead of having it out in the atrium- was beyond logical thinking. Foxy was barely able to hold his tongue as he followed Freddy to the front doors. They opened for Freddy and the two skirted through.
They were then in the Fazer Blast lobby proper. The room was illuminated by neon lights, some shaped like stars or characters in spacesuits, screens in stand-by, green beams stretching the length of the ceiling, and illuminated support beams. Foxy wasn't sure if this was the normal lighting, but the neon effect was well done if it was, giving a space-like illusion with the bright lights against the dark backdrop. What sounded like futuristic elevator music played in the background.
"This… is Fazer Blast! Or it is the check-in counter for Fazer Blast," Freddy said. He was watching Foxy and awaiting his reaction. The pirate hummed and began to walk around to look, his hand and hook shoved in his hoodie pouch.
Other than the counter there was also a small merchandise corner, a small arcade, and even a shelf of trophies. The last of which catching his attention the most and he walked over to get a better look. Freddy eagerly followed along with him.
The faux-gold trophies didn't look too different from the massive statues littered around the Pizzaplex. In fact, quite a few of them were topped with figures resembling the Glamrock animatronics, but there were others following the space theme and one even decorated with a lightning bolt mimicking the one on Freddy's chest.
"These fer show?" Foxy asked.
"I am not sure. The way Fazer Blast is played is with two teams competing against each other and a team neutral "Alien" Staff Bots, so perhaps we may have a tournament someday," Freddy offered, and Foxy hummed in response. "But there is also a single player option-."
"Calling all recruits! Fazer Blast is a high-intensity space combat simulation! Suit up and save the universe as you blast everyone and everything with high-tech laser effects! Blast strangers, blast your friends! Beat the Superstar Score and get a free Fazer Blaster gun. Enlist now!"a very familiar voice suddenly blared over the intercom.
Freddy had been struck silent. The look on his face was priceless. His eyes wide and mouth shut tight as he watched Foxy's own twist into his own version of a smirk.
"…That was not me. That was a recording," Freddy awkwardly explained.
"Ya don't say," Foxy remarked. He was just as amused but decided to throw him a bone. "Happens to the best of us. What were ya sayin'?"
"Erm, yes. I was just saying that there is a single-player option and that I uh…" Freddy still sounded flustered. He made a throat clearing noise and motion before offering, "…Would you like to try?"
Foxy was a little surprised by the offer. He pulled his hand out to point a thumb back at the wall behind him, tilting his head questioningly. "That? Yer serious?"
"Of course! The attraction is up and running and as of now I have full access to it. It will be on me," Freddy offered warmly.
Foxy considered it for a long moment. "This is one of those things that's going to blow up in my face. I just know it," he thought. Yet even with this self-warning, he answered right afterward, "Eh, why not? I got a couple hours to kill."
"You are staying that long?! That is great!" Freddy's ears wiggling with his delight. "Consider me your host and tour guide to the Pizzaplex. I believe I have done an adequate job so far," he said with a chuckle.
Freddy then beckoned Foxy back towards the check-in desk and then beyond to the doorway beside it. Like before, the door opened the moment he got close to it, and he gestured his hands for him to go first.
Foxy started to have second thoughts. If Freddy was going to backstab him then he would've done it by now, but one look at the tight passageway beyond the door made him feel uncharacteristically claustrophobic. Maybe it had something to do with being in a competitor's establishment hours before it was supposed to open while his band mates circled around nearby and knowing somewhere there was a woman in a rabbit suit creeping around.
Or maybe Foxy was just paranoid about someone walking behind him.
"…Whatcha waitin' for, mate? Lead the way," Foxy said lowly.
"Aye, aye, Captain!" Freddy answered obliviously. He turned and led the way into the corridor. No questions, no conflict, just instant and enthusiastic agreement. It was an admittedly jarring shift and Foxy's suspicion was instantly resolved.
The corridor was more just a tight corner illuminated by neon pink and green lights. Immediately around the corner was another door that opened into a small room. To the left were two rows of seats, to the right a stage with a Staff Bot decked in black and orange Freddy-themed armor standing on it. Their approach triggered the Staff Bot to suddenly perk to life and began to speak to the non-existence audience in the empty chairs.
"You must be the new Fazer Blast recruits and from the looks of you the orange slash blue team hasn't got a chance. Soon you will be fighting for your lives on a hostile alien planet… but first I am here to tell you how to play Fazer Blast. There are two rules you must follow at all times. Rule number one: no running, no climbing, no jumping, no hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving-."
"He's takin' the fun out of this," Foxy leaned over to murmur to Freddy. The bear sent him an amused look.
"You should be listening. If I recall correctly, you previously had a hands-on experience with a Staff Bot," Freddy remarked. The tone was hard to read, somewhere between playful and still maybe hiding a slight scolding.
"Was that before 'er after ya snatched me up by me breeches?" Foxy challenged confidently.
"Rule number two: have fun... Do you want to hear the rules again?"
"I'd like to know how to play the game," Foxy retorted.
"It is not complicated at all! The name of the game is Capture the Flag- not literally, of course. You and your team must claim three flags by pressing their buttons and holding the area until it is claimed. You will have to use your Fazerblaster to hold off both the other team and the alien Staff Bots while also protecting yourself. You have only six hits before you are out of the game!"
"I think I got it."
"Good!" Freddy led Foxy towards the door on the other side of the room, ignoring the Staff Bot who was still droning on. The door opened to reveal another passageway like the one before. "This door leads to the armory where you will be supplied with a Fazerblaster and a helmet before being assigned to your team-."
"Whoa, slow down," Foxy interjected. "Why're you sayin' that like you ain't comin' with me?"
"Well, you see… I am not authorized to play with the guests. From what I have been told, I am to play against Staff Bots in-between matches, so that the spectators will have something to watch while they wait for their match to begin," Freddy sheepishly explained. "However, I will be watching and rooting for you!"
"Belay that, mate!" Foxy swiftly declined. Freddy blinked and the pirate cocked his head. "It means forget it. What I mean is that you ain't on the clock. Who says you can't walk in there and play a game?"
"Technically Fazbear Entertainment."
"I don't see Fazbear Entertainment's name hangin' over the front door," he spat back bitterly. The sudden change in tone surprised Freddy, and that visible surprise signaled for Foxy to reel it in. "Maybe I be a stickler, but if I'm playin' this game I'm playin' it against the best, and since this is yer attraction, it must be you." He shot him a sly glint. "So, whaddya say, Freddy?"
"I am flattered!... Very well, Captain. I accept your challenge!" If there was any trepidation, Foxy managed to talk him out of it. "But I am not sure how the game will work if I am in it. It is not set up for me to play against a guest."
"Then forget the flags. Let's see…" Foxy considered it a moment with a tap of his hook on the chin of his muzzle, then got an idea. "We get three hits apiece. First one to get three shots in wins. We keep our own score, and we play on our word," he offered before also offering his hand. "As captain of Pirate's Cove, I solemnly swear to call only the shots I make. Lest me word be mud."
"Agreed!" Freddy eagerly took his hand and shook. "May the best man win!"
As though Foxy didn't feel competitive before, he was suddenly given an opening to beat Freddy at his own game. There was no way he could lose.
…
The Fazer Blast arena was an impressive sight- or a daunting one, depending on who was asked. Though like most of the Pizzaplex it had been pushed beyond the boundaries of reasonable budget. It was a maze of walls illuminated in neon colors to differentiate the separate areas, one that stretched into two smaller floors above, ramps leading to the second and the bridges to the third platform in the center of the room. A large spaceship was mounted above it all.
If he wasn't in the middle of a hunt, Foxy would've been in the throws of another pity party, but right now he had a job to do: be the best man and win.
Understandably, the helmet sized for children wouldn't work, so he had only the Fazerblaster alone. It was a plasticky little spaceship shaped gun that let out a red laser when the trigger was pressed. It wasn't exactly a flintlock pistol, but he intended to wield it like it was. He kept crouched low as he peeked through a hole in between the walls. There was no sign of his target, but there was a Staff Bot with an alien helmet on rolling rather close.
Not wanting to attract attention, Foxy intended to let it slip by, but as it rounded the corner of the wall he was left with no other option. He shot it dead-on before it could expose his location. The bot responded to the innocuous zap of red light with a clinking noise and then slumping its upper body as it continued to roll to a stop. Effective, but louder than he wanted… unless he could use this to his advantage.
There was a ramp up to a second-floor platform up ahead, so he hastily made a run for it. His footsteps quieted on the carpeted floor but him having to take care not to thump up the ramp. He hid behind the wall at the top and listened for the dull thumps of approaching footsteps.
Freddy slowly came out from the passageway just behind the ramp, tipping Foxy off that he had already been on his tail. He had his Fazerblaster held up and close, leaning out from cover before slowly creeping forward. He could see the Staff Bot rolling to a stop and kept his distance as he scanned for any sight of the fox, not realizing he way looking down at him from behind.
Foxy's mouth opened into a wicked grin as he aimed the Fazerblaster. The zapping noise it made gave away what he had done immediately but he took no shame in calling out, "Ya-har! Gotcha!"
Freddy spun around and swung out his arm to aim directly at his competitor. It wasn't until Foxy saw the look on Freddy's face- eyes narrowed and mouth tight- that he suddenly realized the bear was taking this game very seriously.
He barely had time to pop back behind the wall before he heard the zap of the Fazerblaster and then made a run for the bridge up towards the third floor, expecting Freddy to race up after him. He was half-right. Freddy did break into a sprint, but instead of running up after him he ran around the low walls and came out underneath the bridge, taking aim while running, and just catching Foxy darting across.
All it took was a split second, but he got that red dot of a crosshair on his target before pulling the trigger. "Direct hit!"
Foxy kept running and so did Freddy, weaving through the labyrinth underneath the highest platform to cut off Foxy at the second bridge. He wasn't so lucky this time, with him jumping from the bridge to the ramp and disappearing into the maze. He had to admit, Foxy was quick, and his height definitely gave him an advantage in this scenario. Freddy took refuge behind a wall, back pressed tight to it, and returned to his earlier tactics- listening for Foxy to give up his position.
Foxy had gotten into a hiding spot between two walls within the red section. There were small slots in the walls that he could peek through, but it didn't do much good when he was almost entirely encapsulated by neon. It didn't help that he couldn't hear Freddy anymore either. He leaned against one of the walls and tried to listen in.
"Intruder alert!" Foxy growled and snapped his head back in irritation to see another Staff Bot rolling around the corner, giving away his hiding spot. "Resistance is futile!" To which Foxy swiftly put it out of commission with a single shot.
Freddy started creeping up while his back was turned. Back against the wall, slid down enough that he couldn't be spotted over it, he steadied himself before leaning out and taking aim, waiting for Foxy to betray his position through the hole.
Foxy looked back and caught sight of Freddy and brought up his weapon with lightning-fast reflexes, aiming it through the small window and firing right at him. He was pretty certain he hit his mark, but he couldn't see if it did.
Because the last thing he saw was a bright red glint before his vision became a blurry scramble of misfiring servos.
"GAH!" Foxy staggered back against the wall, violently rubbing at his eye with his sleeve. The stinging remained and his vision was heavy with static.
"Captain Foxy!" Freddy exclaimed. He rushed over to the fox's side, who was now muttering swears as he continued to rub at his eye. "I am so sorry; I should have not aimed so close to your eye!"
"Gor Blimey, 's like a hot poker in the eye," Foxy hissed. He tightened his jaw and tried to reel in his reaction, not wanting to suddenly be seen as a weakling because a laser pointer burned out his retina. He forced his eye opened and noticed his vision was starting to clear up.
He also noticed when he started to step, or stagger, back that Freddy had put a hand on his back to steady him. He looked positively guilt-ridden, probably blaming himself and his decision to go ahead and play. Foxy had to pull himself together and salvage the situation while he still could.
Or that was the plan until he suddenly realized that Freddy had literally dropped everything to run over to him, and that even in his pain Foxy had not.
"That was a bad move, Bear," Foxy said lowly.
"I know. I should have made sure I had a clear shot before I…" Freddy trailed off and looked down in surprise as Foxy's Fazerblaster clunked against his chest. There was a brief pause before he pulled the trigger, causing the gun to audibly zap.
"Now me brains might be fried, but I think I can still count to three," Foxy remarked cockily. His eye still twitchy and unfocused but showing the smirk less apparent on his face.
Freddy looked utterly floored, a look that was broken by a guffaw that further dissolved into a rumbling laugh. Relieved and more amused than expected, he pulled Foxy into an unexpected hug before giving him a thumping pat on the back. Foxy went rigid at the touch before daring a chuckle of his own. He patted Freddy's shoulder before pushing him back.
"That's enough. I don't need ya gettin' sappy on me, mate," Foxy said, still sounding more amused than uncomfortable, even if he put a good step between them. "But tell ya what, I be feelin' generous tonight. How's about best out of three?"
"Are you sure? I will be more careful, but we cannot be too sure it will not happen again," Freddy warned. There was that guilt again, that borderline coddling tone that made Foxy all the more dead set on his decision.
"I think ye might be afraid I'm gonna win again," he challenged, exaggerated smugness returning. He almost expected the comment to go over Freddy's head, but this time it did not.
"Hmm… Alright then, Captain," Freddy said. He offered his hand. "May the best man win."
Foxy wasn't sure why he hesitated before taking Freddy's hand. It was just a game, it wasn't like he was agreeing to anything else, like he was going to get in over his head.
Funny how the only way he could forget about Freddy's was to take the bear head-on.
Mable: Foxy's on an important mission to get information here, folks. Laser tag is just a step in that plan.