Mable: Huzzah, on time again! 8D Maybe it'll stick for good! Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Foxy grumbled to himself as he crawled through the vent. He should've just taken his head off and slipped it back on once through the tight shaft, but he expected that Freddy would be waiting for him nearby and didn't want him to see him putting his head back on. It ruined the image. At least when his hoodie had been yanked off, he hadn't seen him with his head yet. He hadn't made those worried hints about Foxy going to Parts and Service yet either.
So, he would deal with it, and he pushed through the last stretch of the vent and around the corner. He was glad to see that the vent cover was off, both because it would be easier to get out and because it confirmed that he made the right decision leaving the head on. Sure enough, a familiar face peeked in at the end of the vent.
"Good evening, Captain, and welcome to the Pizzaplex!" Freddy greeted friendlily. He pulled back and stepped away so that Foxy could climb out. "I hope you are prepared for a night of high-speed action, crazy cool games, and plenty of hot and fresh pizza! It is going to be out of this world!"
That sounded like it came directly out of an ad. Not that Foxy could say anything when he was fluent in 'Kiddie Pizzeria Pirate' and spoke it regularly.
"Ya bet yer bowtie I be! Question is, are ya prepared to fight fer yer title as champ o' Fazer Blast?" he asked cockily, only reinforcing his decision to not remark on Freddy's advertisement laced speech.
Freddy chuckled warmly and deeply. "I am hardly the Fazer Blast champ! I have not formally won any tournaments or championships, as the name would imply. I am simply built for and programmed to be excellent at the game."
"How very humble of ya, Freddy," Foxy said sarcastically.
"I am quite good," Freddy said more overtly confidently. "…But I have not been able to practice in days. The technicians have advised me to not put any unneeded strain on my power supply, and unfortunately Fazer Blast is one of the many activities they recommended again," he continued, face falling quite a bit. "I am still not sure if I have been cleared to-."
"That's great ta hear! Makes it easier fer me to win," Foxy cut in. Freddy's somber look jumped to surprise, and the fox nudged him in the arm. "Don't overthink it. Ye knew yer body better than a bunch 'o technicians. Less that 'built fer the game' spiel was a lotta talk," he goaded, trying to rile the bear up.
Freddy started to look like he was considering it.
"I was… And I do feel like I am no longer malfunctioning…" Freddy said thoughtfully. He looked at the floor for a moment then back up to Foxy, who popped up his patch long enough to send him a questioning, challenging look with his eyes. That was what seemed to do it and Freddy seemed to smile again as he nodded. "You are right! I am at full charge, and I did not have any issues today during service. Why not try and see how it goes?"
"Atta boy, Mate!" Foxy praised. He gave him a hardy and unintentionally loud smack on the arm.
"And if I do have a malfunction and collapse, the Pizzaplex is not open, so nobody will see me!" Freddy continued. That actually got Foxy to hesitate. Then he slowly patted his arm.
"Eh, always the optimist," he said.
"Thank you!" Freddy said. "Well then, shall we head to Fazer Blast first?"
"Aye. Lead the way!"
They headed to Fazer Blast and soon were in the arena. For the first game, Freddy was playing rather cautiously, making sure not to make too many sudden movements or running for too long. No doubt this was what led to him losing that game, as Foxy didn't hold any punches. This was also likely what convinced Freddy to play a little harder in the second game. Much to his relief, he felt fine. Much to Foxy's relief, he didn't fall over and shut down midway through.
After the third game, they came out to take a break at the arcade cabinets. It was then that Freddy said something that should've tipped Foxy off but at the time didn't, "I am sure we can get in one more game."
Now, when they had first come out of Fazer Blast and went to the corner arcade, Freddy had jokingly talked about Foxy getting the 'Deluxe Superstar VIP Package' and it coming with free plays of the 'hottest games this side of the sun!' So, when Freddy mentioned 'one more game', he just assumed that he was implying that they could fit in one more game before they moved onto the next part of the agenda.
Which was fine by Foxy, because at that point the score was one to two and he wasn't sure if he could tie up the score with how Freddy was playing. Apparently, all those days being barred from Fazer Blast really pent up.
"What're we in for now?" he asked as they left Fazer Blast.
"Captain, before we continue, there is a reason we had to stop Fazer Blast early," Freddy explained. He stopped beside the Fazer Blast desk and turned towards Foxy who followed suit. "Starting tonight there will be new nighttime protocols throughout the Pizzaplex."
"Uh huh." Foxy already didn't like the sound of that. "Such as?"
"Every hour on the hour- well, not quite on the hour. A few minutes before the hour but still every hour- the Pizzaplex will reroute all power to the charging stations. I am required to go to the charging stations at that time, but the lights will be off and many of the amenities and facilities will shut down."
"I see. How long's that last?" Foxy asked.
"Not long! It only lasts for five minutes. It is much shorter than our usual charging cycles," Freddy explained. "But we are getting close to time, and I am not sure if we will be able to make it back to my room. There is a charging station on the second floor of the atrium, so would you like to stay here in the Fazer Blast lobby while I recharge? Or perhaps somewhere else nearby?"
"Eh…" Foxy thought about his limited options. It was only five minutes, but he didn't exactly want to stand in here the whole time. He walked towards the entrance with Freddy in tow, considering his options. He finally made his decision when it became apparent that there weren't many places he would be able to reach. "I'll just go bum over in Kid's Cove fer a while."
"An excellent choice! I wonder if the campfire will stay on when the power goes out. That would look very authentic," Freddy suggested. He continued to follow Foxy like a puppy. "And please, do not worry. My bandmates will also be charging and will not be searching for you."
"Good. Me night vision's fine, but I don't feel like breaking me face runnin' into a dead door," the pirate scoffed.
As cool with it as Foxy tried to sound, the idea of power getting shut off to the entire building made him wary. He didn't know how these animatronics would react to the dark, if they would become even more of a problem the second the lights went out. He knew at least one of them reacted to it, which didn't bode well for the situation. Just because Freddy said they were supposed to charge didn't mean that they would.
If he would've known this was going on he might've been a little more reluctant to swing by and he wondered if that was why Freddy waited until now to tell him.
"Perhaps it won't feel as long if you think of it as three hundred seconds instead of five minutes… Hmm… Perhaps that makes it sound longer…"
Foxy chuckled a little and decided then that Freddy probably didn't plan this. Just like all the other strange things in the Pizzaplex, he just probably took assurances that it was what they were supposed to do with full acceptance. He was a little too trusting and a bit too naïve, whereas Foxy suspected everything. He couldn't help but wonder what this hourly power dispersal was actually for.
They arrived at Kid's Cove quickly and found the place relatively the same as the last time he saw it, save that some of the pillows were moved around and that there were some toys scattered here and there.
"Here we are, Captain! I will be charging in the station on the second floor of the atrium in case of an emergency."
"The Rule Four closet, eh?" Foxy asked sly.
"That one exactly!"
"…The bloody 'ell is that?" Foxy asked, pointing a finger towards the doors leading into the daycare. They were now covered in a makeshift banner with the words "Banned!" written in thick yellow and red crayon, along with a small frown.
"Hmm… Now that is odd. It seems that Sunny has banned someone from coming inside," Freddy said. He sounded just as surprised.
There was a soft sound from nearby that Foxy only barely picked up. A sound that he was somehow able to instantly place as someone stepping on an empty bag of chips- probably through experience. He snapped his head towards the ship.
"Could- Could he have banned me? Because of last night?!" Freddy said in aghast. "That would be awful! I have to perform at birthday parties in there!"
"Keep yer voice down! We ain't alone…" Foxy warned in a harsh whisper. The bear's mouth shut tight, and he snapped his head up to scan the walkways above them before looking back at the pirate. Only then seeing what he was looking at, which would be the large pirate ship off to the side.
"…What should we do, Captain?" Freddy asked quietly.
"Go stand by that door. Act all casual-like," Foxy instructed. He pointed at the security door they came in.
While Freddy was becoming increasingly aware of the time, and wasn't sure if this was a good idea, he went along with it.
Foxy, meanwhile, began to slink around the other side of the ship. He kept his movements slow and his footsteps as quiet as he could. A first glance behind the ship showed that nothing was there, but there were plenty of hiding spots, including a large opening in the back of the pirate ship. There was a small space inside that was almost like a crawlspace and definitely didn't look on purpose.
There were some foam cushions, a blanket, some trash, and toys stashed inside, but nothing else. He pulled back and started to turn to the left-
That's when he saw it. It was very quick and very subtle, and it disappeared into his blind spot right afterwards. Something hiding amongst the props in the back corner behind the pirate ship. He didn't show any reaction because the moment he saw it he knew what it was, and he had to play it cool.
"There ain't nothin' back here!" Foxy called, though not too loudly. He began to walk around the ship- in the direction of the corner- looking around like he was searching but keeping that one section hidden behind his patch.
"Perhaps you were mistaken?" Freddy called back.
Normally Foxy would scoff at the thought, but in this case- "Aye. Must've been."
He edged closer to the end of the ship and beside the props, comprised of fake tentacles and cushions with fish decals on them. He moved slowly like he was still searching, but not slow enough to tip off what he was preparing to do.
He started to walk on past.
Then abruptly turned and reached into his blind spot and behind the props and snared his target dead-on. He fished him out from behind the props and hoisted him up under the arms, squirming and kicking. It was a child.
And from the description and the way he was actively trying to kick him, Foxy had a feeling he knew who this child was.
"We've got a live one!" he called. In seconds Freddy hurried back to them and was surprised to see who Foxy was currently holding out at arm's length.
"Gregory!" he gasped. He came forward with his arms out to take him. "Foxy, it is alright. That is Gregory, the boy I told you about who was locked in the Pizzaplex by mistake."
"Figures," Foxy remarked as he studied the kid. He noticed that his hair was unwashed, and he had a sizeable bruise on his knee before passing him over. Gregory sent the pirate a defiant look as Freddy set him down on his feet again.
"Gregory, what in the world are you doing here?... Were you locked in again?" Freddy asked. During which he knelt down in front of Gregory and laid a hand on his shoulder, and in that moment that defiance was replaced by the look one would get in a police lineup. But Freddy was not demanding or scolding, he was just concerned.
"I… I came to see you… but then I started playing with some kids and I got tired and fell asleep, and when I woke up the whole place was closed. Guess I'm stuck here for the night," Gregory said with a shrug. Foxy found it unconvincing, but Freddy seemed to believe it.
"That is quite unfortunate. And quite surprising! That this could happen twice in a matter of days…" Freddy hummed with disappointment. He didn't notice, but Gregory's shoulders started to slightly fall. "…But it is good to see you again," the bear continued, his voice regaining its warmth. Then brightened up further, "And this time we know a quick way to get you out of the Pizzaplex! We can head down to the Loading Docks after I recharge."
"Uh… Actually, we can't. My mom's got a new job and she doesn't get home until morning, so she can't pick me up until then," Gregory explained.
"That is problematic…"
"Can I just hang out with you until six?" the child asked cautiously. Gregory's voice then gained a bit more confidence, "Or I could just hang out here. I'm not a baby, I don't need to be babysat."
"It is not standard procedure, but perhaps we can make an exception for tonight. It will be just like a slumber party!" Freddy agreed. A little quickly too, as noted by Foxy's ears twitching with alert.
"Freddy," he murmured.
"Hmm? Oh! Forgive me. Gregory, this is Captain Foxy of Foxy's Pirate's Cove!" Freddy introduced. Gesturing the hand that wasn't on Gregory's shoulder towards Foxy. Foxy gave a salute with his hook.
"Wait, you're Foxy?" Gregory asked in confusion. "Don't you have a pizzeria too or something?"
"That'd be right, Lad. Foxy's Pirate's Cove: a scallywag's hideaway fer plundering pizza, prizes, and plenty 'o boot- plenty 'o treasure!" Foxy answered.
"So, you're a pirate," Gregory clarified.
"That be correct, Bucko!" Foxy said with a swipe of his hook and a wink. It was hard not putting it on for the children.
"Then why are you dressed like that?"
Never mind. It would be significantly easier now.
"Wait… Are those trash bags on your feet?"
"Eh, belay that!" the fox swiftly interrupted. "This just be a disguise, so Blondie don't spot me. Bein' a rival of Freddy's, we could get in a lot of trouble iff'n we got caught schemin' together. 'Sides, I ain't scuffin' up me boots in the vents."
"And speaking of which- Gregory, I like your new shoes!" Freddy complimented.
The talk of trash bags reminded him of the beat-up sneakers Gregory had left behind and then drew his attention down to the ones he was currently wearing. He was delighted to see that they were a brand-new pair of white and red sneakers.
He recognized them immediately as being one of the Freddy Fazbear licensed shoes sold in the Pizzaplex, which was exactly why he then playfully asked, "Where on earth did you get them?"
"…Uhh… Here! I got 'em for free because I lost my old ones," Gregory explained.
"I see. Well, you have an excellent taste in footwear. Unless you were not able to choose, in which case you were very lucky to get these ones. They are very cool," Freddy said with a wink.
"Freddy," Foxy tried again. This time a little more firmly.
"Yes, Foxy?"
The lights suddenly shut off. Throughout the atrium there was the slowing hum of everything shutting down as they were deprived of electricity.
"Oh, right. That."
The lights in Freddy's eyes clicked on to see Gregory's startled look and Foxy's entirely unamused and unimpressed one.
"What just happened?!" Gregory cried.
"The power went out," Freddy said simply.
"It did? Blimey, I didn't even notice," Foxy remarked. He gestured his head down at the boy. "Tell the lad."
"You see, Gregory, the Pizzaplex is going through its new nighttime protocols. During this time the power in the Pizzaplex is rerouted to the charging stations. It will only last a few minutes, but I will need to head to a station. I will return shortly, I promise. Foxy will watch you until I return."
Foxy stared at the bear blankly through the darkness. He didn't remember volunteering for that, but then again, he supposed it was better than letting the kid run around alone in the dark. Watching kids was pretty much his career simplified.
"Aye," he agreed. Gregory looked back at him, now with a look much more wary than anything else.
"Okay?" the boy said uncertainly.
"Great! I will return shortly," Freddy said. Then he began to hustle to the security door. It did not open automatically, but it wasn't locked so he was able to lift it and slip underneath.
That left Foxy and Gregory standing awkwardly in complete silence.
The pirate side and gestured for him to follow, "Come along, Lad. We'll sit by the fire." He put his hand on his shoulder to lead him. Gregory tensed up but didn't yet pull away, likely because Foxy had yet to do anything worth worrying about.
"Don't you have glowing eyes like Freddy?" he asked.
"Nah, takes too much power," Foxy said. Better than saying he was an older model, he supposed. "Watch yer step. Bench's right in front of ye."
Gregory felt it out and sat down and Foxy followed suit on the other side.
"So, yer Gregory. Freddy's told me 'bout yer lil prison escape the other night," Foxy began. He leaned forward with his arms resting on his legs, leaning towards the fake fire that wasn't even glowing and thus gave none of the effect.
"Really?... How many people did he tell?" Gregory asked. His look said it all and Foxy could mostly make it out in the lowlight.
"Only the ones who ain't gonna say nothin'. We don't work fer this Pizz-o-plex," he assured. "…And I know yer thinkin' it and no, I ain't gonna turn you into Blondie. I'm hiding from her too."
There was a paused for a short while.
"Sooo, if you don't work here, how'd you get here?" Gregory asked.
"I ran," Foxy answered.
Gregory looked unimpressed. "No, you didn't."
"Swear on me ship. The night me and Freddy met, I hiked all's the way down the highway and broke in through one of them vent. Best security system money could buy; couldn't keep out a pirate," Foxy said proudly.
"You broke in?" the boy asked in surprise. "Why?"
"To make a statement!" Foxy boldly proclaimed. He thrust a hook in the air, but then quickly slumped back into his previous position. "Only got through one can 'o spray paint 'fore Freddy caught me."
"You spray paint? Cool!" Gregory said with more excitement than he intended. He quickly recovered and added, "Don't tell Freddy I said that."
"No sweat. If he finds out I've been bragging to ya, he'll get on me about being a bad influence," Foxy waved off. Then after a moment to consider, promptly leaned forward and slyly added. "I tagged all up and down Rockstar Row."
As luck would have it right when Foxy was starting to enjoy himself, he heard footsteps. He straightened his back abruptly and looked around, soon looking up at the wall above the security doors into the daycare. Someone was walking around past those decorated panels.
"Someone's walking around up there…" Foxy warned. Gregory didn't need to be told twice. He even stood up as though prepared to run in the pitch dark.
Which turned out to be a good idea when there was a bumping on the other side of a doorway located at the top of the lighthouse. Foxy popped off his seat and made a run for it, snatching up Gregory as he passed and making a run for the pirate ship. The boy giving a quiet, "Hey!" before going along with it and only pushing Foxy off once they were safe. Foxy ignored his frustrated huff and kept his eyes on the lighthouse, patch raised to see.
A figure immerged from the doorway bathed in blue. From the white glow of the face to the blue arms and starry pants, Gregory not only could see him too, but he recognized him immediately as the Moon. Foxy may have not seen him before, but he recognized him from the descriptions he had been given and what he had made from the random posters around.
Moon circled around the top of the lighthouse before throwing himself down the slide headfirst. They could hear him sliding down before he rolled out and to his feet at the bottom. He stalked over to the opposite corner of Kids Cove where there were a mound of fake stones, looking around but not seeing Foxy and Gregory ducking behind the ship, and then hastily climbed up them. From there he hopped up, grabbing the edge of the railing above, and pulled himself up and over.
Foxy listened closely to the animatronic's ticking as it faded off somewhere into the atrium. At least that constant noise was a dead giveaway if he started slinking back in this direction.
"I think we're in the clear," Foxy said. He kept his voice low just in case.
"That's Moondrop. Or I think that's his name. When the lights go off, the Sun guy turns into him," Gregory explained.
"That's one creepy bot, I tell ye."
"Yeah…" Gregory then got a cheeky little smile and thrust a thumb to his chest proudly. "I'm the one who got banned from the daycare."
"What'd ya do, pants him?"
"No, but I should've! He chased me all over the place!"
Foxy chuckled and nudged Gregory's shoulder to lead him back to the sitting area. "Well, he ain't our problem now. Lights should be on soon, so let's settle in an' wait fer Freddy."
They sat back down at the fire like they had before. Now a little antsier and quieter than before, listening closely for if anything else would come up. They didn't have to wait long before something did, as the lights booted back up a few minutes later shortly afterwards they could hear Freddy's thumping footsteps. Gregory eagerly stood and waited, and shortly afterwards the security door lifted to reveal, as expected, Freddy on the other side.
"All done! Now that was not so bad, was it?" he said with a smile.
"Uh, YES! Moondrop showed up!" Gregory exclaimed. He ran up to Freddy and started to reach for his hatch. "Let me in." Freddy, surprised, stuck out a hand to stop him.
"Stay back," he warned. Only once the boy's arms dropped to his sides did he open his stomach hatch. "There you go! I would not want you to get your fingers pinched."
"Thanks," Gregory said grumpily. He then started to climb up into him with Freddy's assistance.
Foxy had been doing the noble and paranoid thing of taking a quick look around as he got up, fixing his hoodie, and then looking over just in time to see Gregory halfway into Freddy's stomach, and if he had a heart it would've stopped.
The panic of seeing Freddy willingly leading a child into a stomach hatch could do that. It suddenly reminded Foxy, quite forcefully, that Freddy looked a lot more like an Afton built machine than a traditional Freddy's one. It was horrifying.
"Can I have some of these chips?" Gregory asked, holding up a bag from inside the hatch.
"You can have all of those chips!" Freddy encouraged.
"Freddy…" Foxy said lowly. His accent slipping as he continued staring. "What are you doing?"
"I will be transporting Gregory inside of my stomach hatch just in case Moon- err, or perhaps Sun, is still in the area. It is against regulations of course, but I will be extra careful. He is precious cargo!"
"Are you sure that's safe?" Foxy asked. His voice distant and his stare unblinking.
"Well… I am not entirely sure..." Freddy said hesitantly. He was starting to second-guess his decision, noticing exactly how Foxy was eyeing him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's okay. I had to ride around in him a lot the last time I was here," Gregory said, quick to defend the bear. "So don't worry about me, I'm fine."
He wasn't sure if it was Gregory's assurances or Freddy calling him out, but Foxy managed to snap himself back into character. Freddy had done it last time and it had gone fine- horrifying but assuring.
"Err, sorry, Mate. Just threw me for a loop. Though he'd be gettin' crunched up in there," Foxy quickly excused.
"I understand. If these were any other circumstances, I would never allow a child inside of me. I will be very careful," Freddy reassured. Foxy got the direct impression that the bear didn't get any of the implications and just thought he was upset because he broke the rules. That was a different kind of concerning and would have to wait as Freddy perked up. "Now then, Captain, Superstar, are you two ready to go?"
"Sure. Where are we going?" Gregory asked. The stomach hatch closed and sealed him inside.
"Well, that depends. Captain Foxy is steering this ship tonight," Freddy said. He looked to Foxy. "Captain, if I may make a suggestion, I recommend a journey to the nearest arcade followed by a stop-in at the kitchen for a complementary pizza."
"Aye, sounds like a plan, Privateer Freddy. Let's draw anchor and set sail! I have a feelin' we be in fer a long night," Foxy agreed. Then followed alongside Freddy as he led the way, trying his hardest to shake the uneasy feeling.
It was weird how something so simple could remind him that he barely knew Freddy. He would keep an eye out, while hoping he didn't have to.
Considering the sheer size of the Pizzaplex, it was no surprise that the pizzas would be made on an assembly line. Not a literal one, at least not in this kitchen, but in a systematic fashion that restrained on quality to make up with quantity. Many of the pizzas were frozen, but for a pricier charge- such as when catering a birthday party or under specific request- the pizzas were actually made fresh down in the kitchen on the lower floor.
These pizzas were, in theory, supposed to be made by Staff Bots. In fact, recently more of the Pizza Bots had been brought into working order and were connected with the Staff Bot Intelligence Web to follow paths to any location in the Pizzaplex to deliver. While these systems were still not up to snuff, in theory they would be a monumental jump in entertainment and service technology as they knew it.
At least, this was what Freddy recited when he led Foxy and Gregory down into said kitchen. Though when it came time to make the pizza, Freddy had his own plan.
"Keep pressing down and slowly roll it out… Good! Keep going, applying the same pressure… Perfect! Now let's smooth it out with a few more rolls."
Gregory did as instructed and rolled the rolling pin over the pre-sized ball of dough until it rolled out into a reasonably neat circle. It was probably the first time this kitchen had witnessed anyone rolling out dough the old-fashioned way, on a counter, with a rolling pin that was likely seldom used. Gregory frowned at its unevenness, especially it ending up uneven while Freddy was watching so closely. Though he was the only one so critical.
"Good job, Superstar! That is an excellent crust!" Freddy complimented. "Now it is time to head to: the Sauce Station."
Gregory couldn't help but smile at Freddy's grandiose tone. The two moved the flattened dough carefully onto a circular pan and Gregory carried it as Freddy led him to the saucing station towards the front corner of the kitchen.
They passed by Foxy in the process, who was currently busy raiding the cabinets. Alas, all he was finding were boxes of plastic utensils, stacks of party plates, and some replacement equipment for the kitchen appliances. Very little foodstuff.
"Bah! Nothin'!" Foxy grumbled. He moved to the next cabinet and yanked it open. His ears lifted with interest. "Oh ho? What be this then?"
Gregory didn't get to see what it was before he was out of eyeshot. He found himself led before what almost looked like a drink machine except wider and advertising pizza sauce. A sauce dispensing machine.
"It is time to sauce the pizza! What kind of sauce would you like, red, purple, or green?" Freddy asked. Gregory scrunched his face up at the idea of a pizza with green or purple sauce on it.
"Just red's okay."
"The classic! Then let's just put the pizza under the appropriate spout…" Freddy took the pizza pan and set it in the appropriate spot. "Now you hold the red button down and sauce will be applied. The longer you hold the button, the more sauce will be added to the pizza."
"Jackpot!" Foxy suddenly called. Freddy leaned to the side and Gregory looked around the corner to see him hauling out a large bag of little chip bags out of the cabinet. "Freddy, yer booty is mine!"
"I am terribly sorry, Captain. You are certainly welcome to anything in the Pizzaplex… But I need it for sitting."
Foxy downright sputtered. "That wasn't what I-! Yer such a nerd, Fazbear," he remarked, spotting the playful glint in Freddy's eyes.
Freddy chuckled before stepping back to his place in front of the saucing station. "Go ahead, Superstar," he encouraged.
Gregory pressed the button. Immediately the thick sauce sputtered and then began to pour out over the crust. It came out quickly and covered the pizza quickly, and with him having trouble seeing he wound up with more than intended.
"That's a lot of sauce…" Gregory murmured.
"Maybe. Do you like pizza sauce?" Freddy asked.
"Well, yeah."
"Good! Then you will have plenty!" the bear encouraged. "Now to the Cheese Station!... You are not lactose intolerant or have any dairy allergies, do you?"
"No."
"To the Cheese Station!"
They went to the cheese station where things went very similarly to the sauce station, though this time Gregory purposefully put extra cheese on it. By now his mouth was starting to water and he was staring hungrily at the pizza even though it was uncooked. He resisted the urge to start picking cheese off and was led to the meat dispenser, passing by Foxy who was tearing open a tiny bag of tortilla chips.
He offered one to Gregory, but the boy just gave a simple, "Maybe later."
The meat dispenser went a lot like the cheese dispenser, save that instead of a flurry of cheese they were partially clumped up wads of pepperoni. Freddy carefully broke them apart with his claws and spread them across the pizza.
"There we go! Now we move on to the Not Meat Station."
"You mean like vegetables?" Gregory asked.
"No, it is more like a meat substitute. Vegetables do not do well in the pizza topping dispensers…"
"I-I think I'm good."
"Very well. You are the chef!" Freddy assured. "Which means now it is time to put the pizza into the super-charged Express Faz-oven!"
"Ya know, yer cuttin' it close, Freddy," Foxy added in. Up until this point he had purposefully stayed quiet to let Freddy and Gregory have their time, taking mild amusement in how parental Freddy was being, but he felt it was worth bringing up.
"Do not worry. The Express Faz-oven is the fastest cooking oven in the Pizzaplex! Perfect for quick delivery orders. By my calculations, we will be able to finish the pizza with a few minutes to spare. Just long enough to get you two a couple of slices and to make my way for the charging station."
"There's one down here?" Foxy asked.
"Right through that door and down the hall. It is a short ways away, but it should not take me long to get there or back… Though I am concerned that Chica might smell the pizza and make her way down here. As soon as the pizza is done, we should leave the kitchen. Just in case," Freddy forewarned.
Gregory didn't like the sound of that, scrunching up his face as he picked up the pizza pan and followed Freddy to the boxy red oven sitting near the loading docks door. Freddy started it up before taking the pan and sliding it inside, shutting the oven and listening as it hummed to life. Foxy came over to investigate it, looking at the oven with some scrutiny. It didn't look like much to him. Maybe new, but nothing state-of-the-art.
Yet all he had to do was look at the short timer counting down and suddenly he wanted one for Foxy's, direly.
"This the only oven like this?" Foxy asked.
"As of now it is. It is only used for the fresh pizzas," Freddy explained. He turned to him curiously, not noticing how he was eyeing the oven. "How do they make pizzas at your establishment, Captain?"
"Eh, fresh. Made to order, except fer the ones Tab- our chef cooks up in the mornin's. So, we got premade stock fer anyone grabbin' a quick slice, but otherwise it all be fresh."
"That is fantastic! I have heard that fresh pizzas are better, and the smell is even more enticing than with the frozen. It is a shame that the Pizzaplex is not smaller or perhaps we could do all fresh too!"
Foxy knew there was no way that Freddy intended that as a backhanded compliment but did feel a little bit of a twitch or wince somewhere in his chest. He looked around the stainless steel, nearly perfect grade kitchen and looked for a fault.
"Yer right 'bout that. Place this big built more like a factory than a pizza shop," he remarked. He then fixed his eye on one of the standard ovens. "…So, what's these things run on? Electric or gas?"
"Almost everything in the Pizzaplex relies on electricity. Except for, as luck would have it, the heating of the Pizzaplex itself. That is handled by a massive boiler located deep underneath the Pizzaplex," Freddy explained. "There is also a furnace- Err… But it does not- it is not required for heating."
Foxy turned to look at Freddy and the bear quickly looked towards the oven. The fox hummed a little and sent a suspicious look, but then looked down at Gregory, who was also looking up at Freddy, and decided not to pry- yet. Foxy certainly knew what he associated furnaces with, and Freddy's reaction would've lined up with that to a T.
They stood in silence a moment, then Freddy's head snapped back to Foxy.
"Captain, why don't you tell Gregory about your many adventures?" he invited. Foxy assumed he didn't mean the possibly illegal activity, including the one he might commit if he found out there was a second oven- "Such as your adventures out at sea with Mari and Lottie! I am sure he would be very interested in how you thwarted Captain Silver Fox."
Ah, now Foxy caught on. Gregory was looking confused- and definitely didn't seem like the type of kid who would believe stories like this at face value- but Foxy decided to go along with it. After all, it was his job to entertain, and he reveled in it.
"This old salt might be able to haul up a tale from the deep…" Foxy agreed with a glint in his eye. He rolled it down towards Gregory before leaning down, resting an arm on one knee. "Ya know what a kraken is?"
"It's like a squid, right?" Gregory asked with a quirked brow.
Ah yes, this one was going to be a tricky one, but Captain Foxy never backed down from a challenge.
For the most part, he did succeed. Gregory was paying attention to him. He didn't seem fully enraptured, likely because he knew it wasn't a real story, but he still listened and engaged. Occasionally asking a question. One of which that caught Foxy off-guard being, "Aren't grey foxes girls?" He almost didn't know how to respond to it, having to pull out of character long enough to explain that, no, grey foxes weren't exclusively female.
Right when Foxy was really getting into the swing of it and Gregory was finally looking invested, after almost stubbornly fighting to not be invested for this long, they were interrupted by a loud ding.
"The pizza is done!" Freddy said excitedly. He opened the oven and out came a burst of extremely hot air that made Gregory blink and the sliding tray that held the now finished pizza. "Please continue, Captain. This will take me a moment."
"-And the beak bit straight through the wood, leaving a huge gaping cavern that began to fill the ship with salty drink! Any moment the ship'd go under, and it was gonna take half me crew with it! I belayed the crusade an' grabbed Mari round the middle 'fore launchin' meself over the rail and grabbing ahold the rope, swinging clear over the mass o' wriggling tentacles!"
Freddy listened as he got out a couple of plates- real white plates, not just the printed paper ones- and a pizza cutter. He cut a larger than usual slice and plated it before passing it to Gregory.
"Here you go! Careful, it is still very hot," he said. He then began to cut a piece for Foxy who had come around the other side of him and started asking about wet cleaning wipes.
Even with the warnings, Gregory tried to snatch it up the slice and promptly dropped on the plate and snatched his hand back, shaking it off. He changed tactics and scooted the pizza to the edge so he could start eating it, able to tolerate the heat with his mouth when his hands couldn't. He took a few quick, large bites at a savage pace.
"I am sure we must have them somewhere. Perhaps in one of the janitorial closets," Freddy said. At this point, Foxy was looking past him at Gregory and pointed him in that direction. The bear looked back to see him gorging. "Gregory, slow down! You might choke!"
"I've eaten before," Gregory retorted through a mouthful of barely chewed pizza.
"Perhaps, but you might also give yourself a stomachache. You should take your time and enjoy the pizza," Freddy corrected. He grabbed another slice and laid it on Gregory's plate to Foxy's slight confusion, thinking it somewhat scrambled the moral until the bear clarified, "There is plenty more where that came from. Just take your time." He then ruffled his hair.
"Pizza?!"
Freddy froze while Foxy's head snapped to the other side of the kitchen, listening to the sound of banging, and clattering somewhere through the hall.
"It's Chica!" Gregory gasped.
"PIZZA?!"
"Blimey, she's tearin' the place down!" Foxy sputtered. He hastily squeezed past Freddy and ran for the back, hesitating only to look back at Gregory who looked like he was about to bolt, but hesitated long enough to look up at Freddy.
"Go. I will distract her," Freddy assured him. That was all Gregory needed to turn and run after Foxy, still clutching his food.
Foxy set his sights on a nearby door and unlatched it before pulling it open. He was hit with a burst of chilly air and realized it was the freezer, but it seemed like a good hiding spot for them. Or it would've been if he had been able to successfully hook the back of the boy's shirt as he ran by. He gave a hushed "Hey!" after him before flinching at the kitchen door slamming open and retreating into the freezer, leaving the door open only a crack.
Gregory took refuge in the back of the kitchen under some of the counters. His heart pounding as he cautiously peeked out to see what was happening.
Chica came hastily stagger-running into the kitchen. Her eyes were as wide as a feral animal's and her shrunken pupils didn't remedy the look. Her mouth was gaped open, and her whole body seemed slumped and tilted. She was like a zombie. Like a brainless drone running at the first sign of a hot meal. Totally focused on one thing and one thing only.
"Pizza?" she asked. Her mouth didn't even fully move, just slightly stutter. Just like her twitching eyelid.
"Pizza!" Freddy said. He stepped aside and gestured to the pizza.
In an instant everything shifted. Chica perked to life, hands clasping to her cheeks with a delighted squeal and kicking her leg up, then dove for the oven. The heated pan bothered her little as she peeled up the pieces and shoved them into her gaping beak. Smooshing the mix of cheese and crust inside of her mouth and smearing sauce across her face in the process.
Freddy couldn't help but be disappointed that Gregory wasn't going to have as much as he wanted but tried to spin it in a positive way. "I was just practicing baking pizza. What do you think?"
"It's SOOOO GOOD!" Chica gushed. Her voice gurgling in her chest.
"Not too much sauce?"
"Mmm, nope!" she said through the chewing. She wiped a hand over her beak and then shook off the sauce and cheese that stuck to it. "A little messy, but so, SO good!"
"I am glad you like it! I will give your compliments to the chef," Freddy said. He watched as she started to shovel it in again. "Would you like to take it with you? You should take your time and enjoy it!"
Chica managed to get down the thick mass in her beak and turned to face him. A piece of pizza dangling in her hand half eaten, her other on her hip, and all sorts of pizza mess straining her casing.
"No can do, Honeybear!" she chirped. She flicked some cheese off of her chest. "Light's out's coming soon, so I've got to dine and dash!" She pointed towards the door.
In Freddy's mind, this was still a solution to their problem. Chica wasn't sticking around and lights out was coming soon. Gregory was already hidden and hopefully Foxy would be fine in the freezer. If not, they were both close to the loading docks door. While Freddy didn't like the idea of Gregory racing outside, it was a better outcome to him getting caught. As much as he cared for Chica… for some reason he didn't trust her around Gregory. She just seemed too focused.
"I suppose that makes sense. Do not let me stop you," Freddy said. She full threw herself back in again and for a moment he stood there watching her eat. Then he began to think. Then he began to speak. "Chica, about last night…"
Chica abruptly halted in her gorging. "About that animatronic you said you saw…"
"I saw her," Chica sharply said. The bubbles on her voice gone and her tone like a pizza cutter slicing him down to size.
"I believe you! I was just thinking that… perhaps if there is a new animatronic mascot amongst us, we should try to be welcoming to them. I am sure she was just frightened if she ran away from you."
"Freddy, what are you doing?" Foxy thought. It sounded like he was leading up to blowing their cover and hoped to high heaven he was wrong.
"Hun, she had a bad security signal and was creeping around after closing. We don't welcome bots like that," Chica continued bitterly. "We don't welcome bots like her."
"Do you mean of her model?" Freddy asked.
"Any model. Anybody who crawls up here. End of story."
"But perhaps if they were not aggressive and not a threat-."
"We don't let creepy bots come in and do stuff!" Chica suddenly snapped, turning on Freddy in an instant. He was startled by it, enough to draw back. Even Gregory shirked down across the room. "We can't just have unauthorized bots come in and poke around at our things and break stuff and poke around our bodies- I don't know why I have to tell you this! We just don't!"
"I… I am sorry, Chica. I did not mean to upset you," Freddy said in shock. He looked utterly gob smacked as he stared down at her unflinching glare.
Chica gave a frustrated huff and turned away; her arms crossed over her chest tightly. She stared down at the pizza but restrained from throwing herself back onto it.
"I-I suppose I just thought that if they were friendly, we could-." It was at that moment that the Pizzaplex powered down, the suddenness of it cutting Freddy off midsentence and mid-thought by reminding him of the task at hand. "Chica, we should head to the charging stations. You can take the one down the hall and I will find another, or I can take that one and you can head back up-."
Freddy was cut off again. Though this time by Chica reaching out and pressing a finger under his jaw and gently closing it.
"Freddy, I think you would look cuter with your mouth closed."
Freddy's mouth stayed shut and he cut any continuation off there. Chica gave him an appreciative pat on the cheek.
"You go on ahead. I'm going to finish up the pizza and then I'll go get charged. Hmm?" she asked.
He nodded and turned to leave. He looked back into the kitchen one last time but didn't see Gregory, and then he stepped out the door and headed off towards the charging station.
Chica watched him leave and waited until the kitchen door closed behind him before turning back on the pizza. She was back to being a ravenous beast in seconds, scraping off the last of the pizza and shoveling it into her gaping beak.
After she was finished, she walked over to a counter against the wall and to a roll of paper towels. She tore off a wad of pieces and wiped them over her beak and face, managing to get off a majority of the sauce but not able to wipe away the residual grease left behind. She tossed the napkins onto the counter and turned to leave only to hesitate. She slowly turned her head towards the back of the kitchen.
"I smell pizza…~" she cooed. Her body turned to align with her head, and she began to limp towards the back of the kitchen. Slowed down by the amount of masticated pizza packed into her plating. Too distracted on the elusive smell to even notice the way the freezer door edged open when she passed by.
Gregory heard her coming and knew exactly what was luring her to him. Sacrifices had to be made, and he made them without hesitation. He held the half-eaten piece of pizza in his mouth while setting the plate with the over under the counter, then hurriedly crawled down the length of the counters. He had to feel his way as he couldn't see, but the layout of the kitchen was mercifully streamlined.
He got around the corner just as Chica came around the other side and felt out a new hiding spot right as she looked into his old one.
She gave a dramatic gasp. "I knew it!" she cried. Then proceeded to gobble up the other piece savagely.
Not too differently from how quickly Gregory was trying to dispose of his piece by wolfing it down. He had just gotten it down to the crust when he heard something that caused him to freeze up. Swallowing thickly, mouth thick with grease from the pizza, he slowly peeked out from under the counter and looked upwards- and promptly pulled back under.
"No, no, no! Not now!" he whispered with panic. To make matters worse, he could hear Chica's thoughtful hum before she started to walk down the counters in his direction. He couldn't even throw the crust to be rid of it now. He was trapped.
Foxy had been watching the scene the entire time. Helplessly watching as Chica stalked around the kitchen looking for the source of the pizza smell. He was really hoping Gregory could evade her on his own, because while he was fully willing to blow his cover to protect a kid, he really did not want to blow his cover. A fact that came all the more apparent when he heard a very familiar noise return.
Chica was oblivious to everything. She didn't notice the freezer door inching open enough for Foxy to peek through, she didn't notice the noise, she was just fully intent on that smell. The faintest smell of pizza, so faint that she might've mistook it for coming off of her. She would've been convinced to if she didn't catch the faintest hint while passing by one of the counters. Barely smellable; she must've been built to detect the slightest whiff.
Gregory watched her legs stop beside the end of the counter and saw as they eventually turned towards him. There was no cover under this prep table, if she knelt down, she would see him. He couldn't run, he could just watch as her knees began to bend as she started ducking down-
"Knock knock."
"BWAK!" Chica jumped, staggering into the counter, and turned her head around to see a glowing moon shaped face just inches from her own. "Oh! Oh, Moon! You scared the cluck out of me!"
Moon gave a rather sinister little chuckle. He was dangling upside down with his legs hooked onto the walkway above. Not just his face but his entire torso had been rotated and neck stretch so that he could look at her face to face.
"It's past your bedtime. You should be in your charging station," Moon forewarned. "Go now."
"In a minute! Freddy made a pizza, and he left pieces scattered all over the kitchen," Chica said. She turned around and then bent down to look under the counter, giving a confused squawk before pulling something out. "Just a crust?!"
"Chiiica."
"So, if this was a piece, and I ate six pieces and found one, and it was cut to make eight pieces, then this MUST be the last piece. But why's it over here? And I STILL smell pizza coming from somewhere!"
"Chica."
"What?" Chica asked impatiently. She turned to look back towards Moon only to be struck silent by soft flickers and gentle sways.
Moon's eyes were flashing. Not together but alternatively; back and forth from one to another. His faceplate shifting and rolling in tandem with the way he rhythmically rocked his body back and forth. It looked like something that should've been done to music, but instead he did it to the beat of his own internal ticking, shifting directions every time something rolled deep inside his chest.
"Shhhhh. It's naptime. Time for you to rest. Time for you to rechaaaarge…" Moon droned. Then all of a sudden it all halted. The swaying, the flickering, everything stilled. "Head to a recharge station. Now."
Chica flinched at the command, seemingly snapping out of her trance. She stared for a moment before giving a frustrated huff and turning her head away.
"Fine," she said like a petulant child. She then stomped towards the closest doors and yanked them open, then strode through in an overdramatic fashion.
Moon tsked at her scene before slowly turning his head to look around the kitchen. He lowered himself further to try and see better as he scanned the room. Eventually he was sated and easily drew himself back up and over the railing. Soon he was little more than faded colors moving in the darkness before going through a door and disappearing entirely. The kitchen fell silent once more.
Until Foxy threw open the freezer door with a firm shove.
"Get in!" he called. Gregory didn't need to be told twice. He popped out from around one of the counters and felt his way towards Foxy's voice and towards the chilly air. Foxy helped him the last leg of the way, taking his shoulder and leading him inside. "This place's full of freaks," he muttered.
"Yeah, and they're all Freddy's friends," Gregory agreed.
"Mm-hmm," Foxy agreed. Then what he said sunk in. "…Hey!"
"I didn't mean you! Didn't you say you were his rival or something?"
"Hmm, supposed I did. Sorry, Lad."
Gregory came into the freezer and began to rub his arms in an attempt to warm himself up. Foxy used his foot to keep the freezer door open to let in a little warmer air, and soon Gregory became bold enough to stand in the doorway. To which he was promptly rewarded with something falling over him.
"Hey!" Gregory pulled the fabric off of his head and even in the dark he realized that it had to be Foxy's hoodie. It had the same texture that he felt when he had been picked up back in Kids Cove.
Foxy chuckled. "Put it on. I ain't lettin' you freeze on my watch," he instructed.
While Gregory didn't necessarily want to be treated like a weak little kid who couldn't handle a little cold, he didn't feel the need to argue. Not when the freezer was at least a little uncomfortable. He pulled it on over his head, it covering him more like a cloak than a hoodie, and hoped the lights would come on soon.
A long night indeed.