Mable: Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mike remembered the way back to Rockstar Row, though that wasn't surprising. Nothing really had changed, save for a large patch of plywood covering a wall between the entrance to the row and what he assumed was probably Roxy Raceway, like they either had to do a quick repair or a remodel. It seemed a little late to do either, but at this point he wasn't shocked. He didn't even point it out, just held Marionette's hand and led him to the hall.
There was soothing music playing overhead before they even entered Rockstar Row. Smooth and jazzy, but clearly a rendition of the same theme from the elevator. Other than that, they were silent except for the soft sound of Mike's footfalls against the carpeted floor, growing slightly louder when stepping out onto tiles. The hall was dim but the soft neon of numerous signs dotting the walls allowed him to keep his flashlight off.
Marionette had fallen behind him as he took in the surroundings, so Mike continued leading him by the hand to the first window, Freddy's window. The curtains were pulled open to a crack of a few inches. Mike got a quick look in as he passed by before gesturing for the puppet to do the same, which he did. He leaned in close to the glass and scanned the inside of the room, seeing all the trinkets, the luxurious looking furniture, the "glam", and no Freddy.
He hummed as his eyes affixed on the door in the back of the room. He stole a quick look around to make sure nobody else was there- beyond sounds from the other rooms- and then pointed at the glass. Mike nodded, and Marionette teleported into the room. He did a spin to check the room in full before approaching the door, which opened only when he lowered his legs to tap the floor outside of it, triggering the motion detector.
He looked into the back room but did not go any further inside. Foxy had told them about the charging stations, and he could hear a peculiar hum coming from around the corner, so he assumed Freddy was probably in there, and he decided not to risk getting any closer. This back room, closed up and stagnant like a storage room in a factory, made him uneasy. That and he didn't want to risk getting far enough from Mike that the cameras activated.
He teleported back outside the window and beside Mike once more.
"I think he may be charging in the back. I didn't want to go any closer," Marionette said.
Mike quirked a brow. "Why not?"
Knowing that none of his excuses held much water, the Puppet did not answer. He just gave an indecisive hum.
"Alright," Mike simply said, looking back through the window. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think it's a nice… enclosure."
He didn't even have to hear the bitterness to know it was there. At least he hadn't been overreacting when he compared this place to a zoo.
"Can you imagine being stuck in one of these?" Mike asked, before realizing that, yes, he likely could. "…Bet they'd do it in monochrome and stripes too, just to make it disorienting."
"Monochrome and stripes are only disorienting to you, and I use that to my advantage," Marionette retorted. For a moment managing that playful edge to his voice and a sly slip of a smile. Though it didn't last long, replaced with a sigh. "Though I don't think I would get the curtesy of a room. The Prize Puppet belongs in the corner, where it can't scare anyone."
"Not every man can handle one in their bed," Mike cheekily added. That definitely flustered the puppet if is directly shifting face and little trill were any indication. "And you scare off burglars. Win-win."
"Mike, please, I'm trying to do something here," Marionette lightly scolded with a ring on his voice. He turned and started to make his way to the next window. "Wait there. This one's open," he warned, his voice dropping to a whisper.
The curtains were drawn back fully to reveal the purple-colored room inside, though Marionette hardly paid attention to that when he came around the edge of the window and the first thing his eyes laid on was another animatronic.
It was Roxanne Wolf, obviously. She was on her couch with her back to the window and her legs stretched down it, one bent at the knee, looking through a magazine. Marionette curiously drifted behind her to see what she was looking at. It looked to be a fashion or beauty magazine of makeup and hairstyles, but much to his dismay it turned out to be less of a genuine publication and instead a pamphlet for a salon in the Pizzaplex.
The reason this was so disappointing was not because it was a Fazbear product, but because it blurred the lines between sentience and simulation. He initially assumed Roxy was reading the magazine because she wanted to, but she could just be performing a programmed action to make her seem more alive while advertising the Pizzaplex's facilities. That was a shame if it was true.
Though maybe that was a good thing. The fewer animatronics awake and alive the better, because then they weren't trapped under Fazbear Entertainment's thumb… Unless they were alive and still forced to follow in preprogrammed routines. The thought frightened Marionette, made him all the more aware that he himself might've been forcibly programmed into a literal puppet if he hadn't gotten so fortunate to get out.
Suddenly he wasn't feeling quite as guilty to not be here.
A loud crashing noise interrupted the moment and he quickly looked over. It had come from the next windowed room, one whose curtains were drawn tight, and it sounded like glass breaking. Maybe it was a vanity mirror since both other rooms had them. Roxy turned her head towards the wall and his snapped back to her, and then he immediately disappeared and reappeared halfway to Mike. He hovered backwards towards him before turning around to meet him.
"We should get back to Charlie and the others," Marionette quietly suggested. After that racket, Mike had no disagreements, and the two made their way back the way they came.
Mike stole a look back and figured out whose room the noise came from. "Of course it's the gator. He's going to be a problem," he thought. "…But not ours."
Soon they were out of Rockstar Row and into the quiet passage leading back to the atrium. Mike couldn't hear anything nearby, so he thought it was safe to talk.
"What do you think about this place?" he asked.
"I think Carlton said it best," Marionette answered. Mike knew exactly what quote of Carlton's he was referring to.
"Forget Carlton, he doesn't have all the details," he brushed off.
"Well, you do. What do you think?" the puppet asked, looking over inquisitively.
"I think…" Mike licked his lips. "…I think we can scrape by. I think that we're going to take a hit for a while and that we're going to get known as the discount Freddy's that people go to when they can't afford the big one, and that might be complete garbage but that will mean we're still open… And we keep pushing on and hope your two-year prediction's right."
"Did you see inside the breaker room?" Marionette asked. Mike quirked a brow; how could he not? "And you saw that ply wall up on the wall?" he asked, pointing ahead in the direction of the boards they would soon pass again. Knowing he did, he folded his arms behind him and said with a glint in his eyes, "I know I'm right."
It was hard to argue with that.
Soon they were back out in the atrium. As soon as the security door was shut behind them, Mike pulled out the radio and pressed the button to call through.
"Hey. We're back in the atrium and on our way to you," he said. He received an answer within a few seconds.
"Oh, hey! Glad to hear it, but there's been a change of plans," Charlie began. There was loud mariachi music backing her voice.
"They swiped the car and jumped the border," Mike told Marionette, keeping his thumb on the call button so Charlie could hear.
"Ha ha, very funny," Charlie said. Apparently, she could tell there was a slow grin spreading across his face. "If I was going to run, I'd go to the beach… Okay, okay, jokes aside, we couldn't get into Bunny Bowl."
"So, you're where? El Chip's?" Mike guessed.
"Bingo. It's the only place that we could get into."
Marionette pointed up towards the third floor and Mike craned his neck up to look. "I see it. Did they leave it open or did the automated door just open for you?"
"Automated, rolled right up for us. Or rolled up halfway and got stuck," Charlie explained.
"Mr. Schmidt, this mean robot wouldn't let me go into the bowling alley and tried to take my money," Carlton chimed in with a fake whiny voice.
Mike tsked over the line. "Carlton, I've told you a hundred times now: you can't keep letting these bullies take your lunch money. You have to stand up for yourself. First thing when we get home, I'm going to teach you how to box."
"Oh yes. Punch the robots, that should work," Marionette chimed in beside him.
"I was this close to clocking the one with the maps," Mike remarked. He took his thumb off the button for that one, but quickly returned it and continued. "Did you check both floors or just the third?"
"Just the third," Charlie replied, quickly taking back over the radio. "But honestly, I think us getting into here was just a fluke. Just the fact that the door's stuck sort of suggests it might've been a mistake."
"Wouldn't be the first broken thing we've seen tonight."
"…It was… probably Chica. I can't say for sure, but it sounds like a Chica thing. You can't keep her away from a good meal."
Mike had been moseying towards the nearby escalators only to stop on a dime at the unfamiliar voice on the line.
The young man sounded to be somewhere between their ages. He could've assumed it was one of Charlie's friends if he didn't know them as well as he did. Charlie too seemed to be struck silent in surprise and left it to Mike to find his first.
"Well hello, complete stranger. What are you doing on a two-way radio call?" he bluntly asked.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to listen in. I think our lines got crossed. I've got a radio here and it's picking up both sides of your calls."
"That's not concerning at all," Mike said tightly. He looked to Marionette who had slid up beside him to listen and turned the radio out towards him so they could both listen.
"This, uh… This isn't what it sounds like," Charlie scrambled to excuse. "We're… My dad works here, and we were just taking a look around. We're not here to steal anything."
"Hey, no! I get it! We already had a couple of kids try to stay over at the daycare, thinking they can hide in the tunnels and come out once the coast is clear. I'm not surprised that a couple of big kids tried the same thing… No offense! I'm not trying to take a dig at you with that big kid comment. We're all big kids around here."
That wording gave both Mike and Marionette a good idea who they were talking to, and they exchanged a knowing look. It was either an employee, likely a technician, or it wasn't. Marionette listened closer to see if it wasn't.
"None taken," Mike simply said. "So, stranger, I didn't catch your name."
There was a murmur on the line. All three listeners strained to hear, but it sounded like the speaker was covered.
"I didn't catch that either," Mike remarked.
"I'm Charlie," Charlie introduced, taking the risk to grease the wheels.
"Sorry about that. Nice to meet you, Charlie! I'm Jake."
"Max Smitt," Mike smoothly introduced, hoping to erase Carlton's namedrop of him earlier."And this is Mari."
"Hello, Jake," Marionette said into the radio. His voice as warm and welcoming as he could make it. "What are you doing in the Pizzaplex? Are you one of the big kids that tried to hide in the daycare?"
"No, I'm a… Sorry. I'm a technician. I was working downstairs when the doors shut and now it looks like I'm stuck here into morning. No big deal, happens all the time!"
"I see," the puppet said. He removed his thumb off the button and bluntly proclaimed, "Animatronic."
"I had a hunch," Mike agreed.
Marionette pressed the button again. "So, Jake, since you work here, where would you recommend to go? Keeping in mind that we're just exploring, not looking for trouble."
"Sorry to say, but your options are limited. You already found El Chip's… Actually, speaking of Chica, there IS a bakery on the second floor that you can just walk into. It's a cupcake factory themed bakery cupcake shop sort of thing. Biggest risk you've got is Chica being there, but you've already taken that risk leaving the El Chip's door open and letting the taco smell out. The lobby's open too… and the daycare."
Marionette was noticing a pattern. "The daycare? Hmm, we considered heading over there," he said. He had managed to get the radio in his hand and was now heading slowly towards the escalators with Mike following close enough to listen. "But is it not just a playground? We're all a little too old to be playing in tunnels."
"Speak for yourself," Carlton chimed in. "Hey, I'm Carlton."
"Hey! Nice to meet you."
"We just won't tell them about that time at Hickory Dickory's," Mike teased.
"Hush," Marionette deflected.
"There's a lot more to the daycare than meets the eyes. It's also where the Pizzaplex keeps its traditional party rooms, and where the Fazbear Theater is located. It's worth checking out."
There was a funny noise over the radio. Almost like a squeaking sound.
"What was that?" Charlie asked. Unconfrontational, just curious.
"Nothing. I'm just working on a Staff Bot here. These things are always breaking down- No, quit it- But yeah, if you want to come by- go by the daycare, then it should be safe."
"That sounds like an excellent idea! Charlie, what do you think?" Marionette asked. She was almost surprised at how overly friendly he sounded, which tipped her off that he was onto something.
"Uh, sure! Everyone's on board, I think?... They're nodding at me, so yes," she agreed. She paused before cautiously asking. "You don't think this'll be another Ennard situation, do you?"
"I think it already is," Marionette answered, bringing her up to speed in an instant. "We're on our way."
"We'll leave right now and meet you there."
"Take the entrance on the second floor of the atrium, it spares you the trip through the lobby," Jake recommended.
"We will do that. Until then!" Marionette finished and removed his finger from the call button. "Heads up," he warned before tossing the radio back at Mike. Mike caught it; might've said something too if the radio wasn't built like a toaster.
"Think he's playing us?" Mike asked.
"I'm not sure yet," the Puppet remarked. He was now leading down the stretch towards the lobby, about to come up on the escalators.
"Then we won't get comfortable," Mike said. He picked up speed to a brisk pace as he followed closely behind. A pace that he had to keep up if he was going to make it to the other side of the atrium before morning.
They had just passed a charging station and were about to breeze past the bottom of escalators to the third floor when Marionette suddenly stopped and turned his head. He then put an arm back to stop Mike, but by then he had instinctively looked in the same direction in time to see the elevator doors open and a Staff Bot with a flashlight roll out. Something that would've been concerning enough if not for the familiar blond stepping out afterwards.
"Oh, for-!" Mike began and cut off as he dipped back and behind the plants. He made a grab for Marionette, but he was already darting back around and behind the cover. Peeking through the leaves, Mike saw Natalie look both ways, the Security Bot standing patiently beside her, before, of course, coming in their direction. "For crying out loud," he muttered and raised the radio close to his mouth. "We're going to need a minute. The night guard just showed up."
"Oh no… Okay, do you need us to make a distraction? We could try to lure her over to this side of the atrium," Charlie asked. She already sounded ready to take charge with a plan. A plan that Mike decided to shoot down.
"Just go on to the daycare. We'll catch up."
"…So that's no on us making a distraction?" she asked.
"That's a huge no. Going quiet until we're in the clear. Be careful and don't let anyone catch you," Mike raced out. Charlie gave a quiet hum of agreement, somewhat troubled, and the call ended. He flipped off the radio and hooked it to his belt.
"There's some sort of stand behind us," Marionette whispered. Mike turned back to see and he pointed it out, back a few feet behind the escalators.
"She's going to hear us yanking that open and climbing in… Hang on."
His eyes flickered to the charging station once and then twice, and then sized it up. It was big enough to fit a person and within a few steps, still in the safe little nook behind the escalators. He walked up to it and looked through the window, trying to judge if it was safe. The lack of exposed wiring seemed to suggest that. Only one way to tell for sure though.
There wasn't a handle, so Mike had to dig his fingers into the crack of the door and pull until it automatically slid open the rest of the way. He looked around inside, especially checking the flooring before starting to step inside.
That was, until Marionette gently pulled him back by the shoulders. "Let me go first," he offered.
"Are you sure?" Mike asked, looking back at him. He was returned a little smile. He patted one of his hands and stepped aside, holding the door open. "Be my guest, but careful."
The Puppet slipped into the charging station and did a little circle inside, trying to make sure as best as he could that it was safe. During which, Mike checked back in on the approaching duo. The Security Bot was leading the way now coming around the corner and up on the escalators faster than he expected. All things considered; he was more afraid of it than Natalie. He knew she wasn't at risk of wailing like a siren and zooming at him.
Mike pushed Marionette into the charging station before sliding in behind him and shutting the door after them. Then immediately dropped into a kneel so he couldn't be seen through the window.
Marionette watched the Staff Bot get a little closer before sliding down and kneeling behind him. Mike tilted his head forward and devoted full attention to listening for the approaching bot and guard, when he felt Marionette's arms wrap protectively around his middle and squeeze onto him. The puppet clutching him like on might a security blanket, one that they weren't willing to risk losing. He smiled for a second at that.
The Security Bot, it was likely Smitty, rolled past the station and continued on. Mike released a breath he was holding and mistakenly thought they were in the clear. So, he was startled when he heard the wheeling noise growing louder again, and that slowly grew into dread when it rolled up to beside the charging station and stopped.
"What the hell? There's no way it can see us," Mike thought. The Security Bot started to slowly roll in front of the station, its light glinting off of the window.
"I think it can sense me," Marionette's voice slipped into his mind. He sounded just as startled by the revelation. "I don't understand why, but…"
His thoughts fell silent as they heard Natalie's footsteps outside.
"What's up, Buddy?" she asked. To her it must've looked like the bot was staring at a closed charging station.
The Security Bot reangled itself and leaned in, staring at the charging station for a long moment and processing. So close to finding them and Mike began to feel his palms starting to sweat. It wasn't even out of genuine fear for his life but just the dread of getting caught. An unwanted and perhaps unwarranted surge of adrenaline pounding through his veins as they got so close to getting caught.
Any second now it could find them, it could see them, and it would all be over.
…But it didn't. It didn't see them, it didn't open the door, it didn't even shine its flashlight in.
It just set off its alarm.
Mike swore under his breath at the loud siren-like noise that blared from the Security Bot. The following sound was less abrasive but still an alarm nonetheless, droning on as it began to wave its arm and signal its distress.
"What?" Natalie asked in disbelief. She walked up to the door before suddenly turning away. "There's nothing in there, Smitty. Come on, let's go."
That sudden shift in tone from curious to direct in a second signaled that she must've either seen something or figured out a second late what was in the charging station. Mike couldn't feel relieved, so he just felt embarrassed.
She couldn't get the Staff Bot away from the door either, apparently. It sounded like she tried to physically pull him away, but Smitty was steadfast, twitching his light around and flagging that there was something there. Natalie continued trying to coax the bot away, but it kept putting up a fight, adamant that it sensed something and refusing to budge.
"I have to teleport out!" Marionette warned before suddenly vanishing. His arms disappearing from around Mike and his presence leaving the charging station. He didn't have to explain that it was to mislead the bot.
Natalie watched as Smitty suddenly craned its neck upwards and then shifted directions to now to a little circle under the escalators, which she had to step back out of the way of. It then passed and started to go towards the escalators before returning back to the charging station and flagging again, then returning to the little circle under the escalator. Following something but unwilling to be led astray.
Mike appreciated that Marionette was the patient one, because he would've been frustrated by now. He already was, hearing it come back, dreading the possibility of being stuck in this tube all night.
And right when it seemed like this was the worst-case scenario, it got a whole lot worse.
"What's going on up there?"
Natalie must've heard the footsteps coming, but between the station and the alerts of the Security Bot outside he didn't. Just from the double-tone alone he knew it was an animatronic, a female, and a very irritated sounding one.
"Nothing, Roxy! We're just having a little technical malfunction. False alarm," Natalie called back. That didn't stop them from coming up, and from the two sets of footsteps he knew it wasn't just one.
Which it wasn't, but the one Natalie was facing was Roxanne Wolf. She looked irritated, though this wasn't anything new. She sent a scowl towards the circling bot.
"What's wrong with it? Why's it just spinning around like that?" she asked.
"I don't know. We were just doing our patrol and he started doing this. Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Natalie assured.
"If you were going to take care of it, you should've done that before I got here," Roxanne snapped. "Do you know what it's like to finally get a moment to yourself and have it ripped away by back-to-back security flags. Flags that I only got because my raceway is over there? But I guess you wouldn't understand, sitting in a cushy office all night."
Natalie's moment of silence betrayed that she was likely offended, but she didn't risk lashing back or arguing with the animatronic.
"Roxy, I do not think-," an unfamiliar voice started to interject before being interrupted.
"I didn't ask what you think," she shut down. "…Wait…"
It was that suspicious tone that tipped Mike off that she noticed something. Thinking she might've caught a glimpse of something in the window- though he wasn't sure how with her being on the other side of a planter and him under the window- he tried to get down further and against the wall closest to her, to avoid any chance of being detected.
He never expected to hear her start sniffing and the thought that she could suddenly made him aware of how much he was sweating under this hoodie. Not to mention the hoodie itself smelled like crawlspace and potato chips. If she could actually smell him then he was in serious trouble, and the fact that she started to slowly step around the planter started to suggest that she could.
"Roxy, what is it?" the unfamiliar voice asked. Considering its baritone voice and gentle tone, Mike assumed it was Freddy Fazbear himself.
"I smell something…" Roxanne warned lowly.
She took another step around the edge of the planter when suddenly- and Mike was going solely off what he could hear- the Security Bot must've suddenly rolled at her and ran into her. She gave an, "Ugh!" and shoved it back with an enormously loud clatter. Probably knocking it over in the process. "Get off!"
"Hey!" Natalie warned. She knelt down to try and help get the bot back up. A few heavy steps that nearly shook the ground signaled that Freddy went over to help her, thumping again as he knelt down. Natalie huffed and began, "Look, I get that you're upset, but you can't-." She then cut off abruptly. Mike didn't know if Roxanne shot her a look or Freddy quieted her or if she had seen something, and frankly that was the least of his problems when his hiding spot was compromised.
What he didn't know was that she had been struck silent when she looked back at Roxanne and caught sight of what was hanging above her. There were what looked like white wires hanging from the ceiling. Wires that came around the edge of the escalator above and clung to the ceiling before lowering down right above Roxanne's head, creeping down towards her. Natalie could even see them moving.
Because they weren't wires, they were strings. Blowing as though in a light breeze but in actuality reaching towards Roxanne as she finally located the source of the smell and narrowed her gaze at the charging station before stepping in close.
"Roxy, no!"
When all of a sudden Freddy barreled forward and jumped in front of the charging station, hand thumping against the window to hold the door in place. Mike stared up at the large hand and was half surprised the glass hadn't cracked.
"I just remembered!" Freddy began in a frantic rush. "I know what you are smelling. There was an… incident in this recharge station yesterday."
"What?" Roxanne actually sounded startled, a sharp contrast to her abrasive tone up until now. She recovered quickly though, and from the sound of it had backed up a step or two. "What are you talking about?"
Freddy's voice turned somber and regretful. "Yesterday afternoon a child was separated from his parents while they were visiting Fazer Blast. He must have gotten lost and… unfortunately… once they had found him… he had violated rule number four in this very charging station."
Roxanne went so far as to step back in recoil and gave an audible sneer in disgust. As though she herself had been violated by the possibility of smelling this broken rule. Understandably, if rule number four was the same one Mike remembered.
"I am afraid so. I was warned by the employee who was unfortunate enough to have to clean it out," Freddy explained. He then turned his attention to Natalie. "He told me that he would be putting a warning up to not use the charging station until it has been properly sterilized. Perhaps that explains why your companion Staff Bot is acting so strangely. He is reacting to the warning as though it was a threat! In all intents and purposes, until it is thoroughly cleaned… it is."
"Oh… That makes a lot of sense, actually. If I would've known that I wouldn't have brought him over," Natalie played along. "No harm no foul, I suppose."
The strings had hesitated when Freddy started talking and now, they began to recede back up towards the ceiling, only to hesitate when Roxanne spoke again.
"That can't be it," she protested with confusion. "That doesn't smell like- ugh, I know what a rule four smells like. That smells like a sweaty truckdriver."
Mike knew she was just being overdramatic, but cautiously sniffed the hoodie just in case.
"Hmm, I suppose it could have been the worker who cleaned it up. He had been assisting in Fazer Blast and running quite a bit before we were told of the missing child, and he used his uniform shirt to clean up the mess. Let me check," Freddy said. Mike only had long enough to duck his head down as the bear looked in, but then looked away once more. "He must have come back for the shirt because it is not in there."
"You could have left it at sweaty employee, Freddy. I didn't need that mental image," Roxanne said with disgust. Finally fed up, and seemingly believing Freddy, she turned away with a flick of her tail. "Whatever, I'm out of here. Just shut that thing up so I don't have to," she said, pointing back to the downed Staff Bot. She sauntered away muttering about how nobody could do their jobs right.
Now it was just Natalie and Freddy, with the latter coming back over to her and the Staff Bot and offering, "Let me help you."
"Thanks," she said, and then the two lifted the Staff Bot onto its feet. Though Freddy did most of the heavy lifting. The whole time Smitty was giving the 'can't get up' alert, but once he was back on his wheels he started circling again, only to abruptly stop a few seconds later, after Natalie groaned but before she could voice any complaint.
Smitty seemed a little confused- an understatement after everything. It no longer did circles, but it still seemed to be looking around, and when Natalie tried to lead it away again it looped around and stopped at the charging station again. This time it only made a single flagging buzz. No longer in a panic, but still unwavering in its resolve that something was there.
"I don't know what to do about this. It's like he's stuck," Natalie said.
"Stuck…" Freddy repeated. He hummed thoughtfully. "…Shine your flashlight into the Staff Bot's right eye a click it on and off quickly twice, then do the same in the left eye. That should reset the path of a stuck Staff Bot."
She decided it was worth a shot and reached in between Smitty and the station to do as told. She clicked into both eyes and with the completion of the second, Smitty gave a small sort of registering noise. Finally, it turned away from the recharge station and back towards Natalie to stare at her attentively. She took a few steps back towards the escalator, beckoning it, and it obediently followed just like normal. Even keeping its flashlight lowered when facing her.
"It worked! How did you know that?" she asked.
"I cannot remember. I believe I might have read it somewhere?" Freddy said pensively. He moved his eyes like he was thinking about it, but he couldn't search out an answer. "Perhaps it was in one of the manuals I read."
Mike made a mental note to remember this, because he knew it would come in use in the future.
"Well, if you find it, give it to me. I could use tricks like those for guys like this," Natalie said appreciatively. "And thanks for the help."
"It is no problem, Officer Vanessa," Freddy chirped. "Will you be returning to the lobby?"
"Just to drop off this guy, then I'll be doing rounds."
"Then allow me to escort you! Just in case you need any further assistance. Or company," he offered. To which she agreed, and not just for her own sake.
Natalie glanced up to see that the strings were gone entirely. She wondered if Freddy had seen them too but did not ask, instead starting back towards the elevators. This time Smitty followed loyally behind her, along with Freddy himself.
Mike was finally able to take a deep breath without being afraid that someone would hear and tried to slow down his heartrate. So very close to getting caught. It was exhilarating in a way, but he was stubbornly determined not to take enjoyment out of it. This whole thing had been a bad idea. Not that the shutter would've been better; he should've just circled the escalator cartoon-style and would've avoided the whole thing.
Even though he was expecting it, he flinched when Marionette was suddenly popping in beside him and smoothly snared his long arms around him again.
"Roxanne Wolf has a guardian angel watching over her… and his name is Freddy Fazbear," the Puppet said. His voice had a dangerous edge to it, but the way he latched onto Mike so protectively was much less intimidating. "You smell fine, by the way. Only moderately stressed."
"That's great because I started sweating bullets the second she started sniffing around," Mike remarked. He sighed and put an arm around Marionette's back. "Let's give them a minute to get to the elevator and get out of here."
The Puppet nodded against him. His mask was cool, and Mike turned to rest his face against it. It wasn't just the adrenaline or the hoodie, he realized. The air floor in this charging station was adequate but stale. He wasn't going to suffocate, but it already felt like it was warming up since he got in here. So much for machines and chrome being cold to the touch.
Maybe it was because it was on his mind, but Marionette smelled nice, like the fabric refresher spray he frequently used to help mask the pizza scent that stuck onto everything that spent too long in Foxy's. It was a soft, clean scent, and didn't make him smell like he climbed out of the dryer. It mixed with a lingering sweet vanilla scent, probably from frosting from baking or the pizzeria.
It was comforting. Everything about Marionette usually was, but especially now. Though that could've been the lull of coming down from adrenaline making everything so intense. Not that Marionette was practically buzzing without it. It was clear from his tone to his touch that he had been exceptionally concerned. It wasn't a matter of getting caught or risking injury, it was a matter of reaching that threshold where Marionette would've stepped in that was the real risk.
Mike reached up to soothingly caress the side of his mask. Marionette softly warbled and pressed his face further into his hand, his own cupping it, and his eyes sliding shut only to pop open again when Mike slid in and kissed him on the neck. The warbling grew in volume and wavered in pitch as he began to slowly kiss up his neck and along the edge of his mask.
His own warm lips peppered along the white porcelain and briefly grazed over a stripe before taking his own lips. Marionette gave a quiet keen and pulled him in close.
"Mike~," the Puppet's voice flowed into his thoughts. "You almost just got caught and the others are waiting on us," he warned. Funny how his voice could be so explanatory and sensible while he still so eagerly kissed back. Fingers slipping under and knocking back Mike's hood so he could comb them through his hair. "She must be gone by now…"
Mike hummed in agreement. "Just a little longer," he thought and Marionette likely heard. "Then we stop, and we'll pick this up later."
Marionette nearly trilled at the promise, which he covered with a sigh and tilted himself in further. His porcelain lips were starting to heat from Mike's own and he eagerly pulled in until they were chest to chest. He hadn't broken that protective hold, with both hands now moving to cup Mike's face to keep them together, fingers tracing the jawbone as they did. Breaking apart for only seconds in between so that he could get quick breaths of air.
Mike wasn't sure what felt better, the risk or the knowledge that the likely most powerful animatronic in this whole place was currently held up in his grasp. It wasn't something he thought of often, but it was a pretty thrilling realization.
What wasn't was when Marionette abruptly wrenched them apart and sat upright as he listened, because Mike knew instantly that it meant something was coming. This was confirm with the thumping echoing through the atrium shortly after.
"Christ, it's the bear," Mike guessed. It matched Foxy's description at least. "…Probably racing over here to ask if Foxy can come over and play."
"I certainly hope so. I would hate to have to smack him around after saving your bum," Marionette remarked. The joking didn't disguise the slight distrust in his tone. He had a hunch Freddy would come back, but not so quickly or eagerly. He noticed a small smirk had replaced Mike's frown. "What's that look mean?"
"It means there was a couple of words in that last sentence that shouldn't go together," he retorted. "You wouldn't believe the mental image I got."
"That's your own fault," Marionette tsked. Amused for a moment but quickly returning to his previous bothered state. "You know he won't leave without answers. We should've made a run for the daycare while we could."
Mike knew he was right, especially when he heard Freddy coming up outside, and sighed. "I know. I got carried away-."
"You can come out now, Captain," Freddy quietly called into the recharge station. "Roxy has left the atrium and Vanessa is back in the lobby. The coast is clear!"
Mike sat there for a second before slowly looking over to Marionette. "He thinks I'm Foxy… Right." He gestured down to the hoodie matter-of-factly in realization. He sat there considering what to do for a moment, then started to stand.
Marionette grabbed his sleeve to stop him momentarily before pressing his fingers into his arm. His voice flooded into his mind once more.
"Don't tell him I'm here. Not yet."
Mike nodded and Marionette let him go, watching closely as he slid open the door and stepped out.
Freddy was initially standing with his back towards the charging station, so that he could look out at the atrium and keep watch. He started to turn around to face the man.
"I was wondering if you would- Oh!" The surprise was obvious, if not from his voice than the way his eyes widened upon seeing a human's face instead of a fox mask. "I… My apologies, I- I thought you were someone else," he said, flustered.
The fact that the bear didn't immediately take a swipe at him or demand to know why he was there both relieved Mike and made him equally suspicious. He kept his guard up.
"Who, Foxy?" he asked. Freddy fumbled over his words and Mike raised a hand. "Relax, I work with Foxy. I know what's been going on."
"Then… you must be Jeremy! It is wonderful to meet you! Foxy has spoken about you many times," Freddy said with a perk in his voice. "I am Freddy Fazbear!... But I am sure that you already know that."
"No, I'm not Jeremy, but I'm friends with Jeremy. I'm… friends with Foxy too. To a lesser extent," Mike said, deciding to hold back on giving out even a fake name in this situation. He already could barely remember the one he had given on the radio, and he didn't necessarily want it linking up with video footage.
"Ah. My apologies then," Freddy said warmly. He seemed to become a lot more comfortable once he knew he worked with Foxy, not even questioning if Mike could've been lying. "But does that mean- Is Foxy here too?" His voice rose with excitement and his ears twitched a little.
"Fraid not. That's why I've got this," Mike said, pulling at the hoodie's baggy chest. Freddy didn't say anything, but his shoulders seemed to slouch a little. "But who knows. Foxy might still find a way down here."
"I hope he does… Well, erm, I know he should not, but I do enjoy our time together," the bear said. "But then again, I must ask…" He crossed his arms and got a slightly more interrogative look. "What are you doing here?"
That took Mike a little by surprise. Not the fact that he was asked, but the fact that Freddy had a look that reminded him dead-on of one Clay Burke would've given him. A low static warning started to come from the escalator above along with an occasional twang. Freddy looked up with a tilt of his head, unable to recognize the noise and thus not especially unsettled by it.
"Not until a sock monkey drops on his head," Mike considered. He assured the bear, "I'm just taking a look around. Foxy told me about the place and I thought, what the hell, why not see it for myself?"
Freddy looked down at him and his face softened considerably. "Is that so? Well, that is fine by me. I was just worried that you were preparing to vandalize the Pizzaplex… Foxy did so on his first night here, but I managed to talk him out of it."
That wasn't exactly what had happened from Foxy's words, but considering how Freddy was framing everything, he might've actually believed that.
"But you must be more careful. I am not sure if Foxy told you, but the other animatronics do not know of his visits to the Pizzaplex, and they will not be nearly as welcoming to a late-night guest," Freddy warned. "Fortunately, I too was signaled by the Security Bot, as this charging station is also located outside of Fazer Blast. Otherwise, I would not have been here to help, and it was already a very close call."
"Believe me, I know. Foxy told me all about what he's seen going on in here. That Staff Bot just had issues," Mike defended. He toyed with the idea of pulling out his taser to show Freddy, to make it very clear if Freddy was tricking him that he wasn't to be taken lightly, but then decided that it would be best to hide his hand. To not play his cards too easily. "Well, thanks for that. You really saved my 'bum'."
"It is no problem! Any friend of Foxy is a friend of mine! Hopefully," Freddy said with a smile. Then pausing as though he was waiting for something.
But he was going to have to keep waiting, because as interesting as Freddy was, and as reluctantly curious as Mike convinced himself he wasn't, he knew that Charlie and the others were still waiting at the daycare, and that was with some kooked out sun that acted like Ennard- which didn't bode well for anyone.
That added with the fact that hallway through the conversation, Marionette had appeared in front of the railing a few feet behind Freddy and was staring at him. After that warning static earlier, Mike might've assumed he was standing guard- and he probably was, but that wasn't all. His expression was much more curious than the protective static earlier would suggest. Studying him closely, trying to make sure that Foxy's recount had been correct.
But Mike understood why. In a way, he was trying to do the same thing.
Mike considered himself a skeptical person and a relatively decent judge of character. At least, he could usually see when someone was faking and when they were putting on an act. He had seen animatronics act docile in an attempt to hide a sinister demeanor and almost every time he had reasonable suspicion beforehand. Freddy didn't have those same tendencies. His movements and directness felt genuine.
But Mike couldn't help but be suspicious when he had fallen for the Old Man Consequences ruse hook, line, and sinker. He couldn't let himself fall for that again, so the best he was going to give Freddy the benefit of a doubt and say it was too soon to tell. Keep his guard up and pay close attention to the animatronics; that's pretty much what he was good at.
But again, Charlie and the others were alone in the daycare.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get over to the daycare before 'Blondie' shows back up," Mike said. He started to walk past, keeping his guard up as he did, testing if Freddy would try something behind his back- knowing there was a looming mime behind his back to cover for him. One who vanished but was always there. "Catch you on the flipside… Or in a couple of hours when I end up setting something else off," Mike added.
"Allow me to escort you there," Freddy offered. He quickly thumped up beside Mike, coming up on him so fast that it made him immediately step back in response. Freddy noticed and did so as well. "I would gladly accompany you, just in case you run into trouble with anyone else."
"You sure? You don't have to."
"I insist!" Freddy said. "And it is no trouble. I would just be returning to my room otherwise."
"Yeah?" Mike asked. He thought back to what Marionette said about the enclosure, about the place being no more than a zoo, and he felt concern creep up past the guard he had up. "Foxy said that they make you stay in your room," he said, asking without directly asking.
Freddy's face visibly fell. "They… encourage that we stay in our room…" he answered.
"Foxy said they locked your door," Mike pointed out. Freddy responded with a noncommitting, but likely confirming, hum. Mike then remembered and asked, "Wait, if your room was locked then how did you get out here?"
"When we are flagged by security our green rooms are unlocked. That way we can address the problem without having to… unnecessarily disturb the others," he said. He made it sound like a curtesy to the animatronics, and Roxanne herself seemed to voice this in her frustration at getting called, but Mike could tell this wasn't a decision to benefit them. This was a measure to keep them from wandering, something they must've learned from the old Freddy's.
But did Freddy truly believe what he was saying? All Mike could go off of was what Foxy told him, and if that was the case then he was likely making excuses for them. That eased up Mike's suspicion of him more than any favor or friendly banter could've. After all, this was the one who supposedly helped that kid escape, so he deserved some credit. This was Freddy, not Fredrick.
"Well, if they're not going to care then I don't. Let's go. You can tell me what's going on with the wall over by Rockstar Row on the way," Mike invited.
"That? There was a minor wiring issue in the wall, but we have been assured that it has been fixed and that the wall repair should be finished in only a matter of days," Freddy explained. He perked up considerably, walking almost jauntily beside him, even while his footsteps clattered so loudly. He moved pretty easily for something Mike assumed weighed three times as much as he did.
"Having electrical problems in here?" Mike guessed, remembering the state of the breaker room.
"We require a substantial amount of electricity. Not just us, the entire building: the arcades, the charging stations, even just keeping the lights on. All of that requires frequently maintenance. Myself included… Has Foxy- Have you heard of the, erm, 'incident' on opening day? During the show?" Freddy asked, his initially proud and informative voice faltering into tentative embarrassment at the end.
"You mean about you passing out on stage? Yeah, we heard. Foxy knows," Mike said. Freddy looked a little startled before covering his face with a hand and groaning, ears lowering.
"I was afraid of that…" he sighed. "It was not my shining moment… Who am I kidding? It was a disaster! And on all of the nights it could happen…"
"Hey, don't worry about it. It happens," Mike said. After a moment that slow smirk started to spread once more. "In fact, it happened to Foxy. He once fell off a porch and into a kiddie pool full of balls in front of a whole birthday party."
Freddy looked to him in surprise. "He fell into a… what?"
"A kiddie pool full of little plastic balls in front of a whole audience," Mike said, definitely smirking now. "And he dragged his brother in with him."
"He never told me that!"
"If you don't believe me, look it up. The video's floating around online."
Freddy's mouth had dropped open in surprise, but then closed as his eyes alit with mirth. "Now he never said anything about that," he said. "I might have to see it for myself. Just to make sure it was not another pirate."
"You better believe he wishes it was- I was there, saw it with me own eyes! The mighty Cap'n Foxy capsized into the mighty blue plastic tub," Mike said. The bear chuckled warmly, with laugh rumbling through his insides like he was hollow, and Mike's smirk softened into a more natural smile.
They stayed in a semi-comfortable silence until they stopped to wait for the security door to open. That was when Freddy spoke again.
"I did not catch your name," he said.
"I didn't throw it," Mike casually returned.
"Huh?... Oh, I get it! That is a good one," Freddy congratulated. He turned back ahead. "But do know that I will not tell if you do."
Mike gave a non-committal shrug sort of thing but didn't offer it. Freddy didn't ask again. Maybe he would by the end of the evening, and maybe by then Mike would change his mind.
Maybe by then Marionette would show himself to Freddy instead of hovering twelve feet behind him. Or maybe he would at least figure out why he was so reluctant to do so.
Mable: This wasn't originally where this chapter was supposed to end, but the next section grew so long that it seemed better to cut it off here than try to squeeze it in and risk rushing that part. I hope you enjoyed regardless! ^_^