Mable: Sorry this chapter took so long, but I hope the size makes up for it! Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Sixty-Six
Natalie had been prepared to get an alert at the West Arcade, though what she hadn't expected was what she walked up onto. She entered the arcade tailed by Smitty and Buddy and heard the ruckus almost immediately. She hurried into the next room just in time to see Freddy getting himself thoroughly wedged between Moon and Monty. Holding the former around the waist with his back to the latter, making himself a shield.
Upon seeing Natalie coming in, he very loudly announced, "Officer Vanessa! You are here!"
This did momentarily get Monty and Moon to freeze up. The gator looked over to the security guard like an animal caught in a spotlight. To which the jester immediately took advantage of his distraction and swung a leg back around Freddy to kick him in the side.
"Moon!" Freddy scolded. He then had to lean forward to dodge a clawed swing over his shoulder. "Monty!"
"HEY! You two, break it up!" Natalie called. She slapped her hands and strode towards them, though stopped a good few feet away. Not nearly brave enough to get between them like Freddy had. There was still a little more thrashing before it died down. Monty butting his chest against Freddy's back and Moon flipping back his head to glare past his shoulder, limbs steadily reversing themselves. "I said, knock it off! Do either of you want a repeat of last time?!"
That at least seemed to finally snap some sense into the two and Monty backed off. Freddy than sat Moon down but kept a tight hand on his shoulder to keep him from making any moves. Now all three stood in front of the smaller security guard.
Smitty finally rolled up behind them. He approached Freddy's back before giving Natalie a signaling wave, showing that he had identified the source of the alert. It was only then that Natalie realized it was Freddy who had flagged her. That made sense.
"Okay, so let's take a step back. What happened?" Natalie asked.
"I'll tell ya what happened! I saw that kid runnin' around playin' with the lights and I go to stop him when that psycho body slams me!" Monty explained. He turned on Moon, shooting daggers through his sunglasses. "And ah know why. He's been hiding that kid!"
Monty gave an accusatory point towards him. Freddy's hands flew up in defense out of reflex, but it was clear that Monty was pointing past him to Moon. The jester giving a dismissive 'tch'.
"We all knew he was doin' it, but now I know fer sure! That's how come that kid disappeared the first night he showed up, when Sun was blocking up the daycare door. That's why he was runnin' around in Monty Golf same time that kid showed up there, actin' all weird. And that's why he's up here NOW with this kid! It's been him this whole time!"
"I was not hiding anything. I was simply protecting an innocent child," Moon deflected. He tilted his head as his voice took a particularly nasty tone. "You're not good with children. Are you, Monty?"
"You kiddin'? Comin' from the so-called 'thing they let around kids', eh? Lemme tell ya somethin', kids come here just to see me. The only kids comin' here to see ya'll are the ones who get dropped off in that plush prison ya'll call a daycare."
Moon growled at the name, the noise vibrating through his speaker as he ticked with annoyance. Freddy was equally started by the comment and struggled to continue not taking sides.
"Monty, please! There is no need for insults," Freddy pleaded. He quickly turned to Moon and said, in a slightly softer voice, "And the same goes for you too, Moondrop. Please."
"Tch." Moon turned his head away and crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Freddy's right. We've got more important things to deal with. So, that kid's up here. Good to know. Freddy, you can watch the door- Oh my God."
Natalie's voice cut out as she looked up at the sound of thumping and caught sight of the giant DJ climbing out of one of the holes high on the wall. She staggered back in shock, craning her neck up to see him. Freddy mimicked the gesture, but his expression was of relief.
"DJ! You are back to normal!" Freddy called.
DJ Music Man nodded and slowly made his way down to their level. He stood over the rows of arcade cabinets with his long arms holding him up like stilts. Save one hand that it reached out towards Natalie as though offering for a shake, even though it was so large that he could've easily picked her up like a doll.
"Officer Vanessa, this is DJ Music Man! The DJ of the West Arcade," Freddy introduced fondly. He certainly didn't sound concerned by his appearance which helped Natalie feel a little more confident in reaching out her hand.
"Oh, h-hey. You scared me- startled me," Natalie excuse with a shaky grin. "I'm Vanessa, nighttime security officer."
The DJ very gently took her hand with two fingers and shook it daintily. He used another hand to rest against his chest and slightly tilted his body forward in a polite bow. She could imagine him saying, "It is a pleasure."
Once the DJ took his hand back however, he turned on the three animatronics standing there. He swiftly pointed to Moon, then Monty, snapped his fingers with a record scratch noise, and then pointed a thumb back towards the entrance. "You two, out."
No matter how angry or how much machismo Monty or Moon could put on, neither was going to argue with the DJ. With Natalie's simple shrug and, "You heard the man," they began to follow her out. The only one not on board with this idea was Freddy.
"Wait, but I…" Freddy tried to interject.
Moon noticed his hesitation and smoothly took a long step back, catching the bear's hands in his own as he did.
"Stay. Enjoy your evening, Freddy-bear," Moon encouraged. He squeezed his hands together. "I will be seeing you before three."
Freddy's eyes glistened as he smiled. "Before three. Yes, of course."
Monty sent a look at the two before huffing and continuing on his way out with Natalie.
Moon finally drew back and turned on his heel to slink his way out. It was a good thing he was programmed to not be impulsive, Freddy thought. Elsewise he might've run right after him and tossed him into another drip. It was awfully tempting.
But he had more things to worry about. He noticed Buddy the mop bot mopping up something right beside the cart Gregory was hiding in. It made him nervous, but thankfully the Staff Bot seemed to take no interest in the cart.
"Come on, Buddy," Natalie called. The Mop Bot proceeded to give one final swipe before following after her.
"That Wight guy's here too, the kid. I think he might've got the lights on. I saw him workin' on the box," Monty muttered as they headed into the entrance.
"I know. He radioed me before he came up. I'll make sure he stays out of your hair."
Monty gave an appreciative nod before he, Natalie, and soon the slinking Moon disappeared around the corner.
DJ Music Man now turned to Freddy and gestured a thumb back towards the dance floor, waved, and then excused himself to return to his stage. This left Freddy free to go check on Gregory, which he hurried over to do immediately.
"Gregory, it is safe now. You can come out," Freddy quietly assured as he opened the hatch. Only to see that there was nobody inside. "…Gregory?" Freddy looked around, expecting to see the boy running up from another hiding spot, but he did not. "Gregory?!"
There was still no sign of him. Growing increasingly worried but not yet at the point of blind panic, Freddy decided to send him a message through his Faz-watch. It wasn't long before he received a response…
…
"Looks like the coast is clear," Mike said as he looked over the lower arcade.
Normally he wouldn't have been nearly so confident, but with the throwdown between Monty and Moon, he doubted it would be this quiet if one or both weren't gone. He kept a careful eye out as they headed down the steps. It wasn't too hard considering that they had to go slow for Marionette, letting him take each step as though he was supporting his own weight with them. Watching his striped legs tentatively lower down each step; there was something distinctly cute about it.
"There you are!"
Mike choked on a swear at the booming voice directly under and behind them. He looked back through the to see none other than Freddy standing at a golden door behind them, arms stretched and trying to wedge his fingers into the crack of the door.
"You almost gave me a heart attack! What are you doing back there?" Mike asked.
"I am trying to get the door to the Hive Arcade open. Mike, Mari, Charlie, we have a problem. Gregory and Foxy both ran into the Hive Arcade and the door has sealed behind them. They cannot open it from the other side, and neither can I," Freddy explained. His voice heavy with concern and desperation.
Marionette spun his head around to look with a discordantly crunchy gasp.
"What?! How did that happen?!" Charlie asked.
"Gregory was running from Vanny. She must have slipped by while I was trying to break up the fight between Moon and Monty. But he got away! And she did not follow him into the arcade. Foxy was able to, but the door sealed behind them," Freddy explained. He released his hands from the door and his shoulders slumped. "And I am afraid that the Hive Attendant might not be much help…"
"There's an animatronic in there with them?" Mike asked. To which Freddy nodded. He had a sinking feeling as he dared to ask, "…So, what kind of situation are we dealing with here?"
…
Foxy wasn't anticipating what he found when he ran through the door after Gregory. He was expecting an extension of the arcade naturally, but this was a far cry from even the one he just ran out of.
Past the entrance desk, the oblong room was packed full of machines. However, they were not the traditional arcade cabinets. There were coin pushers a plenty, spinning wheels of light and games of chance. There were even colorfully childish bee-themed slot machines. Foxy knew how to identify a token eater when he saw it and this arcade was full of them.
Other than that, the arcade had a funky sort of bee-themed design. The walls were alit with golden honeycomb patterns, though the lights were dimmed, the movie theater patterned carpet was dotted with shiny shooting stars on a black background. There was some sort of track leading around the floor and he made a mental not to be careful where he stepped.
There were posters of bees and aliens on the wall, along with advertisements for a Special VIP-only Fizzy Faz, Fizzy Faz Gold. Past the counter and further on down the wall was the open entrance into another room that looked to be designed the same. Behind the counter was a big honeycomb shaped mirror that Foxy could see himself in. It was through that that he saw how much he stuck out like a sore thumb in this flashy arcade. Even more so than the much bigger one outside.
This had to be the Hive Arcade. Freddy had mentioned it only once or twice and hadn't given much of a description, but the theming along gave away what it was. He hadn't mentioned that it was baby's first gambling hidden behind a faux-velvet rope. No wonder people had to meet a certain bracket before they were allowed in here.
"Blow me down," Foxy mumbled.
"Foxy!"
Gregory popped out from behind the counter and ran up to him. He was looking significantly more shaken than he usually saw him.
"There ya'arr, Lad! I was gettin' a touch worried 'bout ya," Foxy greeted. He hooked his hand around his back and pulled him to his side. A protective gesture disguised as a friendly pat on the back. "What're you doin' runnin' into this house of ill repute?"
"You didn't see her?! Vanny was out there! She came after me!"
Funny how even in this predominantly yellow arcade Foxy was suddenly seeing red. "She still out there?"
"I think so! I sprayed her with my juice box and ran in here, but I don't think that's going to stop her," Gregory warned.
Foxy agreed. The only thing that was going to stop her was something a little more direct, and that was something he could surely provide. He hooked the inside door handle and went to slide it open again, but it didn't budge.
He snapped out of his on-the-prowl mindset and began to pull a little harder, then tried to open the door with both hands. Alas, it seemed to have been latched in place.
"Blast it all! The door's jammed!" Foxy huffed. That was foreboding. He wasn't naïve enough to assume the door just happened to shut and lock on its own.
"What?! What do we do now?!"
"Mari'll be able to get us out," Foxy said certainly. Though that would mean standing in this arcade like a sitting duck. "…But let's see if there's another door. Come on, Lad."
Foxy led the way further into the arcade with Gregory at his side. They moved slowly and cautiously- Gregory expecting Vanny to spring out at any moment and Foxy keeping his guard up. The constant sound of music and ambience of spilling coins was hard to hear past as each machine tried its hardest to lure in takers. That wasn't the only thing he heard either. There was another peculiar sound.
Foxy stopped Gregory and pushed him behind him as the noises got closer. Then, out from between a circular shaped arcade machine with rainbow spinning lights in the center, came a slow-moving object across the floor. Not in their direction, but through their path.
It looked like a little UFO, but it made noises like a small vacuum cleaner as it did little circles around the floor. Dipping underneath the machines as though it was searching for something, perhaps dust, trash, or loose change. What was more important was what was atop it. Settled into the center of the UFO base was a small bee driver. It had a round and fuzzy black and yellow striped body with a pair of small stubby black arms, with tiny fingers, and a yellow head with black oval eyes, a tiny open smile, and a pair of matching black antenna.
The face looked something like an alien's, though to Foxy it also distinctly resembled a Minireena. It appeared just to be a prop at first until it started to wheel past their feet and the head turned to look up at them as it did so.
"Buzz-buzz!" it said. Then it continued its way to scout underneath some coin pushers. Sucking up a stray token with a little clatter.
Foxy hummed almost suspiciously and sidled away from the bee and further towards the doorway. Only to look through it and see he was walking up on a much bigger threat.
The next room was shaped in a large half circle. In the center was a spiral shaped stage with a round flat top, and a large spiral staircase wrapped behind the stage and led up to the second floor of the Hive Arcade. There were a few seating benches against the wall on either side of the doorway, evidently so that one could sit and watch the show on stage, which was lit by a lone spotlight hanging down from the center of the ceiling.
On the stage was an animatronic. Its upper body was folded over its lower as though in a resting ballerina pose, making it hard to make out more details than the blue-tinted plastic wings on its back and it's bun-styled molded hair. It didn't take more than the general shape of the body to recognize it as resembling a Ballora model, and the black and yellow coloring fit the bee theme of the arcade.
Both Foxy and Gregory clammed up at the sight of it. Gregory knowing better than to risk alerting an unknown animatronic and Foxy not wanting to deal with the hassle of a situation that could go very wrong. It was unfortunate then that the staircase looked to be their only way out. As far as Foxy knew, there was probably another exit on the second floor of the West Arcade. They had to at least check.
Foxy lifted a finger to his mouth to signal Gregory to stay quiet before crouching slightly and beginning to slowly inch through the doorway. Each step was slow, quiet, calculated and deliberate. Gregory kept close and followed his method as they made it halfway.
That was when the bee ballerina repositioned one of its pointed feet into a different slot in the stage before straightening up and revealing itself to the two. Foxy realizing at that second that it likely had been alert the whole time, just waiting for them to get close.
The animatronic stood about as tall as Chica but being up on the stage gave it the illusion of being much taller. From its casing to its general design, it fit in with the typical Glamrock style, save for some distinct difference.
Firstly, was the bee theming. Indeed, its hourglass shaped middle section was painted in yellow and black horizontal stripes, like a leotard. Its arms were yellow and ended in slender hands with fuzzy white cuffs around the wrist. It wore a ruffled two-tiered yellow and black skirt, one that resembled the Daycare Attendant's.
Its legs were long and shaped more human-like than the Glamrocks. From its generous hips down to its ballet slipper shaped feet, which were drawn up into a permanent point. They were black, but there were honeycomb yellow patterns along her calves.
Her face was the same yellow of her arms and her molded hairline black and styled to look like an upright bun. The bun, or the ball sitting on top of her head, was black with a few thin yellow stripes through it. She had two short, black antennas on her forehead.
Then there was her face. She had a molded mouth, sort of like Sunny's. Though instead of his widespread grin, hers was small and subtle. With black painted lips and only the smallest glimpse of white teeth between them. She had no nose, but there were some golden sparkles on her cheeks like freckles. Her eyes were strange. The closest thing Gregory could compare them to were alien eyes. Big, black, oval orbs with unmoving lids decorated in glittery black 'eyeshadow' paint and long lashes laying along the bottom rim.
It was a strange mix of beautiful and creepy, though Gregory leaned more towards being creeped out. Especially when she leaned in to get a better look at them. Foxy was much more alarmed at the fact that he had blatantly gotten caught by someone who wasn't in on their arrangement. He went rigid underneath her dark eyes.
Both were taken aback by a rather enthusiastic greeting.
"Welcome to the Hive Arcade! Goodness me, it's very late. But I suppose it's never too late for a couple of VI-Bees to come play," she said. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Queen Beelora and I will bee your hostess tonight. Are you ready? Let's go!"
Foxy had noticed the sudden arrival of music to coincide with her namedrop. Not just ambience, but something lighter and bouncier, but still with the spacey techno backing that most of the music in the Mega Pizzaplex had. She began to shake her leg, her pointed foot tapping into one of the slots in the stage, and the moment he made a go at it to get a word in edgewise- not too hard, the last thing he needed was to poke a bee's nest- she burst into song.
"So many coins that I can't count. Come on, Honeybee, let me show you what it's all about. It's so easy a Ba-bee could do iiiit!~" Beelora began. Arms grooving and hips shaking to the beat of the music. "Take a coin and pop it in, pull the lever, and go for a spin!~" She mimicked using a slot machine before popping her hands onto her hips. She gave them a pop to the side, skirt crinkling and rustling. "Seven-seven-seven, triple combs, it's time to wiiiin!~"
Beelora twisted into a rapid spin before stepping out of it and around the edge of the stage; hands on her hips, shoulders rolling.
"When you're a VI-bee the payout's high! Tokens and prizes pile up to the sky!~" She hopped back into the center and tossed up her arms. "And we've got all day all night to make it big! In the hive!~"
She shook her arms again as though waving non-existent pom-poms. Perhaps using her wrist cuffs in substitution.
"So HIT IT one more time! Gotta roll the dice, gotta pay the price to win big, big, BIG in the hive!~"
She gave one last spin and took a pose. Leaned back, head thrown back, with an arm stretched above her and the other to the side. Her legs crossed on the stage. Her stopping on the final note of music.
Gregory wasn't sure if he was supposed to clap or what, so he just continued to stare. A long moment passed before Foxy finally broke that silence.
"That's real nice, Lass. Sorry to, err, put a damper on it all, but we ain't supposed to be in here. We took the wrong door, and it locked behind us."
"There was a crazy rabbit lady running after us," Gregory agreed.
Beelora's head snapped up and she stared back with her large black eyes.
"…Oh," she said simply.
"Aye," Foxy returned.
"I suppose that explains why you're here so late…" Beelora suddenly gasped and straightened back up on the spot, body clicking as she did. She brushed down her skirt before resting her hands at her front. "I'm sorry. I should have asked first."
"Nah, don't work yerself up about it. T'was a good showing," Foxy assured, still feeling a little awkward about this. He finally stood up from his hunched position, seeing no use in it any longer. "If you'll be a dear and open the hatch fer us, we'd be much obliged."
"I would be happy to. Would you please bee so kind as to show me your- oh. Show me his VIBee pass?" Beelora requested.
"But that's what we're saying. We're not VIPs, we just ran in here," Gregory said impatiently.
"Oh, that's… that's not good at all," she said quietly. For a split-second Gregory had a sinking feeling of dread, expecting a heel-turn from the bot. "The door only opens for VI-Bee, err, VIPs. I don't know if we can open it without a VIP pass." That fear deflated soon after.
"Great, so we're stuck in here," he grumbled. He side-eyed Foxy in silent questioning.
"Yar, looks that way. Maybe I can pry the door when the power goes out," the pirate offered, just as disappointed as the boy was.
"Oh, umm, I'm afraid that won't work," Beelora quietly interjected. Her shoulders jumped a little as they both looked at her before settling again. "Due to the valuable and exclusive nature of the Hive Arcade and its prizes, when the power goes off the door, well, stays locked. So that no one can steal anything to resell outside of the Pizzaplex while the cameras are off," she explained further.
"If yer sayin' we're stuck here til mornin'- nah, that ain't gonna fly. Sorry, Lass, but we've gotta be out of here long before those front doors open. In case ya haven't noticed, I ain't from around these parts."
"Oh, I noticed," her voice lulled. He cocked her a look and she vocally corrected herself. "But I understand. It wouldn't be good for me either. The Hive Arcade is very exclusive, only for VIPs. If it came out that someone snuck in… it wouldn't be good. For us three."
"Then ya have it. We've got to be out of here and on our way," Foxy said. He started to look around at the at the room. "Suppose that means there ain't another door upstairs." Beelora shook her head. "We got any sizeable vents?"
"There is one, but… Oh. Oh! Wait! I have an idea!" Beelora literally buzzed with excitement. She clasped her hands together as her wings jittered slightly on her back. "I can't open the door without a VIP pass, so why don't you two win a VIP pass or two? Then I could easily open the door. And you would become VIPs, so technically you wouldn't be breaking any rules being in here."
"You can win those?" Gregory asked in disbelief.
"You can! VIP passes are offered in the prize exchange, so that VIBees can return to the Hive Arcade."
"Can't you just give us a pass?" he asked wearily.
"Oh… I… can't. Do that," Beelora quietly declined. Her fingers tightening together and her wings lowering once more. "I can't give out prizes without Honeycomb Coins to exchange for them. The only way I could is if you won them…"
"Hmph…" Foxy considered the option for a long moment. Both Gregory and Beelora looking to him expectantly, watching him mull it over before finally asking, "Can we do that in, eh… two hours er less?"
"You certainly can! The Hive Arcade pays out the biggest winnings in the Freddy Fazbear Mega Pizzaplex. Now, do you have any tokens?" Gregory got his bag of tokens out from his backpack. "Good! Follow me, please. Be careful to not trip over the Babees, and bee extra careful not to drop any tokens. They will suck them up in a heartbeat."
Beelora stepped onto a track and glided down around the slope of the stage before continuing off into the arcade. Gregory and Foxy followed as she slid into the arcade, around some of the machines, and finally came to a jerking halt beside one of the coin pushers. The entire time remaining poised and proper, with her hands resting at her front to not risk hitting anything on her trip. She waited until Gregory caught up before turning to face him, Foxy getting held back by almost tripping over another UFO Bee.
"Now, here's how it all works," Beelora explained. "VIP pass costs one hundred Honeycomb Coins, which you earn by playing Coin Bumpers and the Silly Slots. You can also exchange twenty tickets for one Honeycomb Coin. Some of the games give out tickets, so you just have to play to win. If you run out of tokens, you can exchange one Honeycomb Coin for ten regular tokens, but you can't exchange tokens for Honeycomb Coins. You can also exchange a dollar for four tokens in the coin exchange by the front counter. You can also win super-rare Crown Crystals. If you win five crystals, you can exchange them for a VI-Bee crown. With that, you will be able to exchange tickets for tokens and tokens for Honeycomb Coins. Or you can exchange the crown for a two day VI-Bee pass. Bee-utiful!"
"…So, I play games and win stuff," Gregory clarified.
"That's right. At the Hive Arcade, even the smallest bee can win big," Beelora said. She gave a delighted little spin, Gregory leaning back out of the way as she did. She stopped facing him and clasped her hands together in delight. "Go ahead. Give it a try."
Gregory turned toward the coin pusher and got out a token. He wasn't sure how to play the game. There were three slots to put the coin in and they would roll down three separate chutes onto the two-tiered levels inside, which were covered in a bed of various tokens. Most were normal Pizzaplex tokens, but a few were bigger, a shinier gold color, and hexagonal shaped. Those had to be the Honeycomb Coins. He identified the closest one and dropped a token into the closest slot to it.
The token dropped onto the higher platform and was pushed by a moving wall into the cluster of tokens where it now sat. Gregory stood there a moment, watching nothing happening, and then looked up at Beelora.
"Now what?"
"Now you try again."
All at once Gregory understood the scheme going on. He was less than impressed, giving Beelora an appropriate look.
"Shoot it in this one, Lad. That side's about to drop," Foxy encouraged. Bumping his back to get his attention and pointing at the slot on the left.
Gregory wasn't so sure, but he went ahead and did it. Foxy's inkling had been correct, and it did manage to knock a few tokens free that clattered down into the prize hatch. Though he could tell none of them were the elusive Honeycomb Coins.
"Win!" Beelora suddenly cheered behind and beside them, making both flinch. "Now you have even more chances to play. Cha-ching!"
Gregory spared her a flat look and instead just gathered the few tokens out of the hatch. Only to be interrupted by a new voice, one coming from his watch.
"Gregory?! Where are you?!"
"Freddy!" Gregory hurriedly pressed the button. "Freddy! I'm… stuck in the Hive Arcade," he finished much less enthusiastically.
"What? How in the world did you get in there?! That section is only accessible with exclusive and very expensive VIP birthday packages!"
"Through the door," Gregory flatly replied.
"But where is Foxy?!"
Gregory held his arm out towards Foxy.
"Ahoy," he chimed in.
"Oh, hello, Captain! What a relief! I am so glad to hear that both of you are okay. When I could not find you in your hiding spot, I became very worried."
"Keep bee-ing worried, Freddy. I'm stuck in here until I can get enough coins to drop to get a pass to get the door open. Or win a crown or something," the boy sighed.
"Have you spoken with the Hive Attendant?"
"She's standing right behind me," Gregory warned lowly.
"Err, uh. Hmm… Well, I suppose… You mean playing arcade games, do you not? You are excellent at those! Why not try a few games and see if you can get those coins? In the meantime, I will… look for, perhaps, an alternative," Freddy offered.
Gregory didn't really want to be stuck here playing the world's most boring arcade game, but it didn't sound like Freddy had an immediate alternative. "Okay… Just, don't do too far."
"I will not! You can be sure of that."
With that, Gregory went back to his 'game' and Freddy went to try and pry the door.
…
"And that is our problem," Freddy finished. "Beelora cannot open the door herself until Gregory wins a pass, but the Hive Arcade games… The odds are not in our favor."
"They're not the kind of games where skill matters," Mike guessed. To which Freddy agreed.
"Gregory always has a chance to get lucky and win a jackpot. He has been very fortunate so far… However, I do not think one jackpot alone would pay out enough for him to get the VIP pass."
"And it's not consistent. Games like that only pay out once enough people have tried it beforehand. So, Gregory could lose his winnings searching for a machine close to paying out," Charlie pointed out.
"It's a shame they don't have a Blackjack table. The kid strikes me as a budding card shark," Mike off-handedly remarked, still thinking of a solution.
"As a matter of fact, they do! Unfortunately, Montyjack cannot be played without a dealer, and I am not certain the Dealer Bot will be active this late…" Freddy said hopelessly.
"That's great. The one game I might win and it's stuck in the VIP lounge," Mike remarked to Marionette.
"Can we short circuit the door?" Charlie asked. Freddy shook his head. "Maybe we can shut the power back down and get the door open. We'll have to go through it with Music Man again, but it might work."
"I… Don't think we should risk it," Mike said with a surprising amount of uncertainty. He subtly pulled Marionette a little closer. "Besides, some of these doors lock up when the lights go out."
"A-And I'm n-n-not up to f-f-orccing the d-doorr," the Puppet said apologetically. "I'm s-sorry."
"Don't be," Charlie assured.
Freddy suddenly turned heel and started across the arcade. A look of determination in his eyes and certainty in his steps.
"You've got an idea?" Charlie asked.
"No, but perhaps the DJ does."
They followed Freddy back to the stage of DJ Music Man where he recited their problem to him. The DJ thought on it for a few short seconds before mimicking snapping his fingers, holding up a finger to wait, and then backing up into the tunnel behind his stage. He came back a few minutes later with something in his hand, though they couldn't see what it was before he stepped off the stage and made his way into the hallway.
He led them right back to the same bathroom some of them had been trapped in earlier and pushed the door open with one hand. He then pointed with another, directing Freddy towards the closet.
"The breaker?" Freddy guessed.
The DJ shook his head and made an opening motion.
"The vent!" Charlie said.
The DJ nodded and pointed to her, then reached out his other hand to reveal that there had been none other than a miniature wind-up Music Man inside. It was much cleaner than the ones that had spotted in the vents without a shred of damage. Its pinkish paint fresh and both its exteriors and metal unchipped. The DJ made a winding motion, a crawling motion with his fingers, and then handed it over.
Charlie took the doll carefully into her hands as Mike sized it up over her shoulder. Then she followed Freddy into the bathroom with a quick thanks.
"I remember a couple of little guys that looked a lot like this one back in the vents over in the other arcade," Mike said, not mentioning how they had ganged up on him. "Are those yours too?"
The DJ shook his head. He pointed at the little doll and then at himself. He pointed off in the direction of the other arcade and then pointed down, using a free hand to knock on the floor.
He only seemed to now take notice of Marionette partially slumped at Mike's side. With Charlie heading into the bathroom and no longer holding him, it was even more apparent how much he had been relying on both his companions to hold him up. The DJ sympathetically offered a hand. Marionette considered it a long moment, staring at the gloved hand almost warily, before finally accepting it- silently reaching and laying his hand on the DJ's.
DJ Music Man took the invitation and moved his hand in to fully replace Charlie. It was large enough to cradle Marionette's side and back fully in his grasp. Marionette gave a light and crispy chime.
"Thanks, big guy," Mike said, his smile returning.
Regardless of what happened earlier, he had a feeling he was going to warm up to this new Music Man.
Meanwhile, Freddy easily pulled off the vent cover leading into the bathroom wall. Charlie twisted the key on its back until it began to stir to life and kick its feet, then carefully reached up and set it into the opening.
"Please, help us find Gregory," Freddy encouraged. "He is a lost child with brown hair and eyes and light skin. He is currently in the Hive Arcade. Please, we may not have much time."
The Mini Music Man clasped his cymbals and did a big loop in the vent before scuttling off. A music box rendition of the Pizzaplex theme coming from his speaker and fading the further he got into the vent until it was a distant echo.
…
Foxy didn't consider himself a patient person. While he could have barrels of patience for children, that didn't necessarily extend to all scenarios. Especially ones that tested that patience and toyed with his valuable time.
He must've been mistaken. Only the patience of a saint was holding him back from thrusting his fist straight through the glass window of this gluttonous coin devourer. Well, that and the risk of losing his only versatile hand.
On the first go, Foxy had dislodged and won six tokens. Six, on his first go. He had mistakenly accepted this as a sign of smooth sailing. It wasn't. Save another three-coin win, those six tokens were dumped back into that machine without much fanfare. Nothing was budging and the Honeycomb Coins in this machine and all the others seemed somehow weighted in place. Getting swallowed up by tokens and then left behind when they eventually spilled over.
He hadn't checked in with Gregory's winnings, but he was almost certain that they were making absolutely no progress.
Foxy was so close to trying to shake the machine and see if he could force a few of those tokens free when he heard Beelora sliding over to him. Maybe she caught a glimpse of how hard he was gripping the cabinet and had the foresight to break it up. If that was the case, she didn't give any indication when she arrived.
"How is your luck tonight?" she asked.
"Not sure. I'll tell ya when it shows up," Foxy replied. He tried his hardest to hide his growing irritation with the game.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe try another machine? That one right over there seldom gets used. I'm sure it is ready to pay out."
"Nah, I've put too much into this one," Foxy doubled down.
Beelora gave a nod, and he expected her to return to Gregory, but she didn't. She continued to silently stand and watch over his shoulder. She must've suspected something, he realized. Which was correct, since he was still considering the brute force idea.
"I don't think I caught your name," Beelora inquired.
"Never heard of Foxy the Pirate?" Foxy asked. Somewhat curious, somewhat joking.
"I have, but I didn't want to assume that just because you are a rugged fox… I didn't want to assume," the bee answered. Before he could react, she cut in with a sudden, "Mind if I stretch?"
"Err- Arr, go ahead."
Even with the warning, Foxy didn't expect Beelora to suddenly snap back and hike her leg up on the next machine over. She gave a relieved sigh as she leaned back further, stretching out her waist, arms folded behind her head which tipped back into them.
From the motion of her head and the slight twitch of her eyelashes, Foxy knew she had stolen a look to make sure he was looking. He was looking, but instead of enticement he sort of had a deadpanned realization that Beelora was flirting with him.
"I don't get many visitors," Beelora sighed. She leaned back up and forward to rest against her still mounted leg. Resting her head on one hand and looking at Foxy longingly- or that was what he got with the frozen smile and blacked out eyes. "What Mr. Fazbear said on the phone? That's very true. The Hive Arcade is very exclusive. So exclusive that I am exclusively the only person who's ever in here. All by my lonesome…"
"Well, ya got yer bees," Foxy pointed out. He turned back to the game and popped another token in, trying to subtly show that he wasn't taking the bait.
"Yes, I do have the Babees, true. But they can't… replace a human connection. Or as human as we can bee," Beelora said.
"I know whatcha mean. Me first mate has a whole buncha lil terrors. He loves 'em to death, but sometimes ya need another adult to get up to tomfoolery with. That's where I come in," Foxy remarked.
"Oh, that's very sweet!" Beelora buzzed. "And your first mate is-."
"Named Jeremy. We're an item."
"…Oh."
That was a hint she did not miss, if indicated by how she slowly lowered her leg and returned her foot to the track. Her shoulders slouching for a moment before popping back up at the sound of a clink.
"Oh! Big win! That's three more chances towards a jackpot, if I heard correctly," Beelora remarked. She had switched back to her cheery tone like the previous conversation hadn't happened.
Unfortunately, that meant at least three more tries at this hopeless machine.
Gregory wasn't doing much better. Not only was he not making progress, but he was beginning to get bored too. It wasn't exactly the most interesting game in the world after all. Gregory would've argued that it wasn't even a game. It was then that his sulking was interrupted by a low voice over his faz-watch.
"Come in, Gregory."
It was Freddy. Gregory stole a look at Foxy and Beelora who were farther down the room before backing up and crouching behind a coin pusher in the middle of the room. He didn't trust Beelora enough to let her listen in.
"I'm here. What's up?" he whispered back.
"We have a plan. The DJ has leant us one of his smaller selves and we released him into the ductwork. There should be a vent that leads into the Hive Arcade. Can you find it?"
"I will! Give me a second."
Gregory lowered the watch and back further away from the machine. Keeping his eyes towards Foxy and Beelora, he began to look around the walls. He wasn't seeing a vent of any kind. Once he ruled out the first floor he began to creep out of the room and up the steps to the second floor, going completely unnoticed. He noticed the track followed up through the center of the wide stairs so Beelora could come up here too, a daunting thought. As friendly as she was acting, Gregory simply couldn't trust it.
The second floor of the Hive Arcade wasn't much different from the first, but it had two noticeable additions. First was the Prize Counter back on the far-left wall. It was a small one, but it was stacked with exclusive golden colored merchandise that Gregory hadn't seen anywhere else. Including golden plushies, honeycomb patterned hoodies, display figurines, and even a small cooler touting cans of Fizzy Faz Gold. There was even a Babee in a glass case, but it wasn't moving or looking around. It was just for display.
On the opposite side was arranged like a photo shoot, with a yellow chaise covered in black honeycomb patterns. Likely used to take pictures with Beelora. He wondered if you would have to pay for one in Honeycomb Coins.
It was shortly after that when he spotted the vent in the back corner. Only noticing it because of the weird way the two machines beside the corner were tilted, like they were trying to block something. He hurried over and looked inside.
"Freddy, I found the vent! But there's no Music Man guy in here," he said into his watch. He noticed something and pressed his ear to the cool vent covering. "But I can hear music. Is that Mari?"
"That is the little DJ! He makes music as well," Freddy explained, sounding quite relieved. "Foxy can get the vent open for you. He is quite proficient with his hook."
"Right. Hold on a sec."
Gregory decided to not tell Freddy he had ditched Foxy- he knew Freddy would be disappointed at that- and instead started to head back. Before he could even get down the stairs, he heard a call from the arcade below.
"Gregory?! Oiy, Lad! Where are ya?!" Foxy called out. His quick footsteps could be heard darting around looking for him. No chance of being discreet.
"I'm over here!" Gregory called.
Foxy ran into the stairwell and immediately all of the wild panic relaxed as his arms dropped to his sides.
"There ya are, Lad! Ya scared the barnacles off'a me!" he scolded. He came up the stairs to collect him. "Don't go wanderin' off like that."
"Sorry… But I was talking to Freddy. He's got a way out!"
That caught Foxy's interest immediately. He cocked and leaned his head in, volume dropping considerably. "That so, eh? Where?"
"Is everything alright?" Beelora interrupted as she entered the room. Still riding along on the track, which Gregory noted again led right up the stairs.
"It's alright, Lass. Lad here was just lookin' around-."
"And I think I found a game we can beat! Come on!" Gregory rushed out.
He grabbed Foxy's hand and all but dragged him up the stairs. He ran as fast as he could and Foxy was quick to follow suit, knowing that Beelora would likely be shortly behind them. Only slowed by the dignified pace she had been taking when following the two around.
Gregory got Foxy back to that corner and lo and behold, spotted through the tightly set slats that there was a tiny version of Music Man standing in the vent. It looked more like a toy than an animatronic, and upon seeing him it smacked its cymbals together with a few short clatters. Gregory waved his hands and shushed him as Foxy scooted around the machines and crouched down beside him.
"That a little Music Man?" he asked.
"Yeah! Freddy said that the DJ sent him in and that he's going to lead us out to the arcade," Gregory explained almost excitedly. "All you've got to do is open the vent and we're free! No more coins or anything."
Foxy was really considering it after seeing exactly how fair the machines were, but something held him back. It didn't take him long to realize what it was. He sighed in defeat.
"…We can't, Lad."
"What? Why not?"
"'Cause it wouldn't be right. Ditchin' Beelora after she's been kind enough to strike this deal with us. She could'a called security on us the moment we got in here, but she didn't, and fer that we oughta respect her deal and see it through."
"But there's no way we're going to get that many of those stupid coins!" Gregory protested.
"Yer right about that, but we oughta try a little longer. We owe her that much," Foxy said. "As much as this all is, she's bein' a whole lot nicer than she could've been. Seems lonely too. We ain't getting her those coins without a miracle, but we could give her a few more minutes of company fer her trouble. Arr ya with me?"
"I guess you're right…" Gregory said with a disappointed sigh. He really didn't want to be stuck in here, and he didn't exactly trust this weird bee woman, but what he said made a lot of sense. It seemed like something Freddy would've suggested to do.
"We'll count up at the hourly recharge. If we're makin' no ground by then, then we shove off through the vent, aye?"
"Aye-aye."
The two then somewhat reluctantly walked away from the vent. Foxy just as much as Gregory, but he wasn't about to burn a bridge with an animatronic. Not when so many in the Pizzaplex were hostile. He was somewhat surprised that she hadn't followed them up.
The reason why she hadn't became apparent as soon as they walked through the doorway and up to the stairs.
Beelora was only about halfway up the stairs. Her feet in the track, but her bent over with her hands on the railing, slowly walking herself hand over hand to slide herself up the track. She heard them approaching and snapped her head up to see them, freezing up.
"Oh, I am… Mm…" She slid her hands together quietly. "…The track mechanism that helps me get up the stairs doesn't seem to be on."
"I'll help ya," Foxy said.
He really hoped this wouldn't give her the wrong idea, but from her buzzing and wing fluttering he was almost certain it did.
So, Foxy and Gregory went along with the plan. Gregory relayed the plan to Freddy while Foxy had Beelora distracted, hoping that he would push back against it and then they wouldn't have to feel guilty in splitting immediately. Unfortunately for him, Freddy jumped at the idea even more readily than Foxy did. He certainly sounded worried, a little distressed that Gregory wasn't coming immediately, but agreed with Foxy's way of thinking.
Though it wasn't too long until Foxy was somewhat regretting this decision. He stood by it morally and that's why he didn't give up, but there really was no progress whatsoever. It was only nearing the hourly recharge when they finally got their first Honeycomb Coin. It shined and felt like real gold, but a tap and scratch of Foxy's hook betrayed that it wasn't. Though it was a better-quality token than he was anticipating.
"Alright, Lass. What can we get with this?" Foxy had asked sarcastically. Holding it out between his fingers like it was some big prize even though he expected a swift nothing.
"Well… you are only nine coins away from an icy cold can of Fizzy Faz Gold. Or nineteen away from a brand-new Freddy Fazbear and Friends mini figure!" Beelora encouraged. Less swift but equally nothing.
"On the bright side, I think I've got enough tickets for another coin," Gregory said. Dryly, just as sarcastically as Foxy had.
Before Foxy could really start to mope after that, the hourly recharge kicked in and the power went out in the Hive Arcade. He quickly scooped Gregory in close and kept a hand on his shoulder, even as his eyes quickly adjusted to the change of lighting.
There was a purple-pink glow underlining Beelora's blackened eyes, but other than that the room was incredibly dark, and the sounds of humming died down to only a distant groaning.
"Oh dear. It looks like it's time for the hourly recharge. Looks like we have a few minutes before the games can continue," Beelora remarked.
"Aye… We'll be fine iff'n ya need to go recharge," Foxy said. That could buy him a moment to get the vent open in case he had to bolt after breaking the news that they couldn't stick around any longer.
"No need. I'm always getting a top off," the bee chirped. She bent a leg up and tapped a finger on the bottom of her foot.
"Ah, now that's a lucky break," Foxy remarked. Seamlessly covering up his disappointment. "Explains why there's no recharge station in here." He gave Gregory a gentle nudge on the back. "Got any ideas on how to pass the time, Lad?"
"Huh?" Gregory asked in confusion.
"Ya know, ideas on what we can do while the lights be out."
"…Oh! Uh, yeah, umm… Hey, Beelora, can you show me the prizes and stuff? Since we can't do anything else."
"I would be happy to! If Foxy would be so kind as to help me back up the stairs again?" Beelora requested coyly. The back of her hand brushing up her cheek.
Considering that Beelora had peeled back her efforts to flirt dramatically after he mentioned his first mate, Foxy decided to play along and give her this flimsy thrill. Apparently, she didn't get out much- or that was the impression he got from how she giggled and buzzed when he 'escorted' her up the stairs.
After that, she slid over to the prize counter and retrieved a battery-operated hive shaped light and turned it on before beginning to show off the rest of the prizes to Gregory. She was too distracted to notice Foxy shuffling off.
He made it to the vent where the Lil Music Man was still waiting on the other side. It had gone quiet but riled up and began to emit music again once Foxy approached. Until he held a finger to his mouth, to which the little bot quieted down somewhat.
Foxy crouched down and began to pry off the vent. Carefully, as quietly as he could, but as quickly as he could as well. Knowing that if Beelora caught him there was a chance this could all go rapidly downhill. He heard a vacuuming noise edging closer and hastily worked even when a UFO bumped into the back of his foot. It soon scooted around him, trying to squeeze between him and the vent, its head craned up to look at him.
"Bzzzz, Mama!" the Babee unexpected called. It continued to run itself into Foxy's leg and poked at him with its stubby arm. "Mama! Mama!"
There was the telltale sliding sound of Beelora riding along her track. Hearing this, Foxy gave one sharp yank and managed to pull the vent open with a clatter. The cover partially falling on the Babee, who let out a louder buzz and quickly drove itself out from under him. It then steered itself towards Beelora who slid up to and stopped right outside the turned machines, circling her feet as she tried to look for what Foxy was doing from her track.
"What are you doing?" Beelora asked in confusion. Not with suspicion but more with concern. Likely afraid that he was breaking into something.
"Err…" Foxy wasn't sure how to excuse the vent cover now in his hand and hook. He looked towards the Lil Music Man only to see that he had retreated into the vent, ditching him. "…It's like this, Lass-."
"Hey, you found a way out! Cool!" Gregory called. Feigning innocence even as he sprinted over with the glowing hive, around the machines, and right up to Foxy's side before setting down the hive and ducking into the vent. "Let's go, let's go!"
"Wait, where are you going?" Beelora asked startled. Her wings fidgeting as she leaned forward, hands out to her sides to balance herself. "No, wait! Don't go in there! That can't be safe."
"Desperate times call for risky moves, Lass. Er somethin' like that," Foxy muttered. He propped the vent cover against the wall. "We'll halfta find another way to pay ye back. Don't worry, I'm good fer it! I just, err, would rather not get caught by security. 'Specially not them bots they got on stage. Save old Freddybear, the rest of 'em look mighty fierce," Foxy said with a friendly- nervous- chuckle.
"I suppose you haven't been to the salon- but wait! I, oh…" Beelora fidgeted in place. Looking down at the track and then after Foxy, becoming restless. "There's no need to get that desperate. How about… I know! How about a major discount? Fifty Honeycomb Coins and I will open the front door for you. Surely you can collect that many coins before morning. You already have two, if we count your tickets being exchanged."
But Foxy caught something in that comment. He was shaking his head and about to give a nonchalant dismiss when he noticed it, head snapping up to her and staring.
"What's wrong?" Beelora asked.
"Ya locked the door. Didn't ya, Lass?"
"What?" She leaned back startled.
"Fifty coins and you'll open the door?"
"I only meant- I still meant with a VIBee pass, of course. I could change the exchange rates. A discount, like I said."
Foxy didn't buy it. He gave a hum expressing as much and narrowed his eye at her. Beelora stared back for a long moment before raising a hand to her mouth.
"Well, I… The truth is that I did… technically shut the door, but I wasn't intended to lock you in here. I truly thought you were VIBees and that maybe you would stay a while. All the games for yourself, and they still are. The whole Hive is your playground," Beelora tempted, spreading her arms out to the many machines. "Won't you stay a little longer? Please?"
Taking pity on her, as he was unsure if she was being truthful or not, Foxy tried to let her down easy. "You know we ain't supposed to be in here. If we get caught here, there's gonna be a lot worse than a trespassin', and there's already been some sorta madness going on around here with the power dying and the DJ losin' his head. This is fer the best."
"I… I suppose you are right," Beelora quietly agreed. "…Will you come back someday?"
"Will ya shut the door on us if we do?"
"I promise I will not."
"Then we will, and we'll repay ye in full," Foxy promised as well. "Ya take care, Lass."
"You too, Foxy the Pirate…" Beelora said quietly. Her shoulders slouching and her head falling sorrowfully at his resolve.
He felt remorseful but that resolve was strong enough to have him continue into the vent. He would pay her back. Perhaps he could even speak to Freddy about getting his friends to come keep her company. For now, he knew he was making the right decision. After all of this the best thing he could do was get Gregory to safety, pack up his crew, and take his leave.
Lil Music Man led the way through the vents with Gregory close behind. He used his watch to somewhat light the way, even once the power kicked back on and the occasional emergency light helped him see his way through. Foxy was close behind him.
It was a shame this night had gone so south so quickly. Foxy really was having a good time even with the short time they had, and Freddy clearly needed to loosen up. Yet it was looking like he wasn't even going to be able to stick around long enough to figure out what was up. As much as he wanted to tempt fate, this was a wake-up call yet again. It wasn't that he brought the others- without them he would probably still be stuck in the bathroom, or crawling through this same vent the other way- it was just the Pizzaplex.
With a regretful sigh, Foxy ran through how he was going to break the news to Freddy.
…
Thumping and bumping echoed through the vent as something raced through.
Coming from directly behind Foxy.
He just managed to squeeze himself in the vent enough to turn back and see what was rushing up on him. His hook bared in preparation to defend himself.
He came face to face with Beelora herself as she hastily crawled up to him, stopping only when he turned to face her. Her hands turned in, her wings folded back to squeeze through the shaft, and her legs somewhat turned to help propel herself through the vent after him.
In a split second she had become one of the scariest things he had ever seen in a vent.
"I just had a bee-rilliant idea," Beelora said. She pushed herself up on her hands until her bun bumped the ceiling. "Forget the VIBee passes. How about- why don't you stay a little longer and play, and then I will just open the door when you're done? You said you were afraid that security would come, but the door is still shut. I can keep them out. So, you can come back and play a little longer and it will be safe."
The fact that Beelora had reeled back into a cheerful tone despite their previous conversation plus a generous step back in the conversation, along with her sudden arrival in the vent, gave Foxy a foreboding feeling.
"Lass, ya know we can't do that. Like I said, we can't be in there," Foxy replied. His voice gentle, his gaze wide and suspicious.
"But who gets that say? I'm the one in charge of the Hive. Please, come back."
"Look here, Lass-."
"Please."
Foxy thought Beelora's eyes were big black orbs staring straight through him. Alien eyes not just in design but in their uncanniness. That was, until that moment when they opened. When he realized the darkness was merely her eyelids and reveal alit mauve eyes underneath. Almost human in size but glowing eerily. Eyes wide and pupils shrunk, looking almost as alarmed as he did.
"Please come back. I can give you whatever you want. I can change the payout rates. I can make sure you win," Beelora begged. "A few hours. A few minutes. A few seconds more. Come back, please."
He had a hunch she wasn't going to let them go so easily. Reasoning with her wasn't going to work. There was only one way to pull his foot from the snare.
"Gregory, now!"
And though he didn't clarify what he wanted him to do, that tone alone screamed 'RUN' and Gregory took off down the vent as fast as he could crawl. Foxy was quick to scramble after him.
"No, wait! Come back!" Beelora called.
She crawled after him and caught up within seconds, grabbing ahold of the back of his hoodie and tugging. He rolled over and twisted it free, shoving her back with a foot, to which she gave a startled squeak. She backed away and he wildly kicked his legs to make sure she stayed back. It lasted only as long as him turning over and hastily crawling on, and then she was following him closely again. Pleading for him to come back, apologizing, offering goods and gold and grabbing for him again.
Gregory charged ahead in the vent after Lil Music Man when suddenly the small animatronic all but disappeared.
"What?!" Gregory called.
That was, until he rushed up on what looked to be the end of the vent and found that it abruptly dropped. His eyes widening as he caught sight of Lil Music Man climbing down the side of the vertical vent, suction cup feet keeping him stuck to the side.
Gregory wasn't sure how far of a drop that was, but it was too far for him to drop down. He turned back and called, "Foxy, problem!"
Foxy caught up to him quickly before hastily maneuvering around him, nearly squishing the boy against the edge of the vent in the process. It was after they switched positions that Gregory caught sight of Beelora coming up. She was a little more hesitant to get close, but as Foxy started putting his feet down the vent she hastily crawled up.
"No, wait! Come back!" she cried. Her voice cracking as she reached out for Gregory.
Gregory lurched back, hitting his head on the vent and feeling Beelora's fingers graze his shirt. In a split second afterwards, an arm looped around and yanked him back and down the vertical shaft. Gregory cried out in shock, being held above Foxy who slid himself right down the chute and landed on his feet with a resounding clatter. He all but caught Gregory and pushed him into the vent in front of him.
"Keep movin'!" Foxy instructed. Though he was almost certain that this was the end of the chase he didn't want to risk slowing down.
Which turned out to be the right idea when they were halfway down the next shaft and heard a resounding thud from behind them. Gregory looked back and saw nothing but Foxy, Foxy looked back and saw Beelora's twisted up body at the bottom of the shaft.
"Bloody 'ell, Lass! Ya alright?!" Foxy called, despite the situation.
"I'm- I'm fine. I'm fine," Beelora forced out. Her voice labored in strain as she unfurled herself back into the position to crawl after them.
"Good," Foxy affirmed. He then promptly turned and took off after Gregory who had already started to leave him. Sure enough, Beelora's now slowed crawling continued behind them, but she was picking up speed quickly.
Gregory finally saw the literally light at the end of the tunnel and crawled as fast as he could to it. Lil Music Man fell out of the end of the vent first and was caught by Charlie. Gregory called for Freddy and flung himself out without hesitation and was caught by the bear.
"Gregory!" Freddy cried with joy and relief. Gregory anticipated getting set down, but instead he was pulled into a tight- but not painful- embrace. His legs still dangling off the floor. "Gregory, I am so sorry. I should not have left you alone!"
"You- omph, Freddy- I'm okay, I'm okay!" Gregory insisted. Freddy loosened his grip a little, but he still did not release him, holding him in his arms. "…I missed you too," he admitted, resting his head against his shoulder.
"I missed you very much! It is one thing when you are visiting friends or it is during daylight hours, but when I cannot reach you… it frightens me," Freddy solemnly admitted.
Any further sentimental moment was cut off by a call from the vent.
"Freddy! Turn around and back up to the vent!"
"What?" Charlie asked in confusion.
Freddy didn't question it and instead did as he was told. A moment later Foxy came headfirst out of the vent, catching his hand and hook on Freddy's shoulders and using that leverage to grab himself and land feet first on the floor.
"Shut the vent! Quick!" Gregory called.
There wasn't a chance to do that. There was barely a chance for Foxy to step aside before Beelora came spilling out after him. She tried to stop herself and ended up grabbing Foxy's hood, yanking him back and onto the floor after she met it head over heels. Just barely managing to get her arm underneath her head to shield her face from cracking into the tile floor.
"Beelora!" Freddy gasped in surprise. Gregory pulled at his stomach hatch and he willingly opened it and let him inside, closing it securely, and then turned back to Beelora and Foxy. "Are you alright?!"
Beelora made a confused garbled noise as she pushed her upper half up from the floor. In the process releasing Foxy's hoodie and allowing him to scoot to the side of the tight closet. Beelora didn't notice, she was too busy looking up to Freddy in surprise with eyes open wide and glowing, pupils pulsing and darting around as she quickly took in the scene around her. She almost looked frightened.
She was harmless, Foxy realized. He had gotten spooked by nothing. That was enough to deflate him the rest of the way.
It was then that she seemed to almost come to her senses. She went rigid in place before finally closing her eyes, returning them to their previous alien look. Though in this light Foxy noticed he could faintly see her eyes through the black lids, perhaps explaining how she could still see. Though in his staring her head turned to look up at him and he quickly looked away.
"There be more adventure than I signed up for," Foxy remarked nonchalantly. He pushed himself up from the floor and was offered Freddy's hand, which he accepted and was pulled to his feet.
"I guess you're not coming back now…" Beelora murmured sadly.
Foxy gave an awkward and noncommittal noise and shrug. Everyone in that room recognized a no when they saw one. Beelora slouched into her lap.
"Err, uh, where's Mari?" he simply asked.
"Waiting at the Hive Arcade entrance with Mike," Freddy answered.
"Lemme go tell him we're out," Foxy said. He didn't direly need to, no, but he direly wanted to get out of this room. He started to hurry out before stopping at the doorway and spinning around. "Wait, where's Gregory?"
Freddy knocked on his chest. Gregory knocked back.
"Ah. Keep him in there," Foxy said. He then turned and headed out through the bathroom, opening the door and seeing a massive face staring back in.
Foxy leapt back with a yelp and let the door close. He stared at it suspiciously, hook lifted, and posture guarded.
"He's okay! He's back to his senses," Charlie called from the closet door.
Foxy dared to edge forwards and push the door open with his foot. This time he didn't see DJ Music Man until he started to lean out and caught sight of him standing behind the door. He peered up at him warily, to which the DJ gave a wave back.
"Ya really lost yer head back there," Foxy remarked. DJ Music Man nodded apologetically. "Eh, no hard feelings. Ya had to watch me dance." He let the door shut and headed off.
As soon as he had left the closet, Beelora dropped her face into her hands. She sat there slumped over, looking like she could start crying at any moment, and that was when Freddy noticed her left wing cocked upwards at a weird angle.
"Beelora, your wing…" he said gently. He then noticed movement above and shot his hand out to catch the Babee that suddenly fell out of the vent above her. He caught its fuzzy round body easily in his hand, its UFO base lost back in the vent drop. It buzzed, nearly vibrated in his hand, and he awkwardly switched it to his left hand while offering his right to Beelora. "We should take you to Parts and Service."
"Is it that-? Oh." Beelora finally looked back over her shoulder and caught sight of her wing. She reached back and pushed it down with an uncomfortably loud snap, one loud enough to get a gasp out of Freddy, but she seemed unaffected by the motion. Instead testing her wing and when it moved, albeit a little fidgety, she turned away from it. "No, I need to return to the Hive Arcade… I… can't climb back up."
"I insist that you do not!" Freddy insisted.
"I- I will need some help walking where there isn't carpet, so I won't slip…" Beelora said quietly. Only to then perk a little and look up at the bear. "Unless… Freddy, will you… carry me?" she asked. A buzz in her chest. The purple hue peeking from the bottom of her eyelids reflecting off her upper cheeks and glittery freckles like a blush.
Freddy's face fell. "I cannot. I am with child."
Even without a change in expression, he could tell that she was disappointed. But just then he had an idea.
"But there may be someone who can!"
Foxy made his way over to the Hive Arcade door and found Mike and Marionette sitting on the stairs just outside the VIP section, the ones that led to the staircase leading up. At least, Mike was sitting there. Marionette was laying across the top step with his head resting in Mike's lap, one arm across his chest and the other up above his head. A rather dramatic posture, but that's all Foxy assumed it was as he walked up. Mike noticed him and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ahoy."
"Boy, am I glad to see you," Mike replied. Marionette turned his head in Foxy's direction and gave him a lazy wave. "Gregory's with Freddy, right?" Mike guessed.
"In Freddy, where he won't get into mischief. Ya wouldn't believe where we've been. Nothing but a sea of slot machines as far as the eye can see. Had a run-in with the Lass runnin' the place. She followed us down a vent tryin' to get us to go back and play more, and now she's sittin' in the bathroom over with Freddy. Lost all our tokens, all we got left is this piece o' junk." Foxy pulled out the Honeycomb Coin. "Which I'm keepin' 'cause it took me half an hour to get it."
"Sounds like hell," Mike sympathized. "What's the deal with the Hive Attendant? Was she like Music Man or…?"
"Nah, she's just lonely. I sorta feel sorry fer her," Foxy admitted. He gave a small sigh and thrust his hand and hook into his hoodie pouch. He looked around at the arcade. "Where's Monty an' Moon?"
"DJ threw them out and then Nat hauled them off."
"Good."
"Y-You should invi-vite her to stay. Th-The Hiiive At-t-ttendant," Marionette interjected. Both Mike and Foxy looked down at him in surprise, though for different reasons.
"Mari, yer voice! What happened?!" Foxy asked, quickly hustling up to the stairs, and up the stairs, to look down at him.
"D-Did you hearrr the P-Pop g-g-g- the music?" Marionette asked.
"Aye?"
"That. I-I was overloaded," the Puppet said with a lopsided smile.
"Blimey."
"W-Why not inviiite her t-to visit with us-s?" he offered again. He didn't go into the clarification- he couldn't do so easily right now- but Foxy's wording had made it clear that she wasn't exactly a threat.
"We're not leaving?" Mike asked in disbelief. A question and sentiment that Foxy shared.
"Not yet. Later."
Normally Mike wouldn't question Marionette's judgement this hard but the nonchalant floatiness to his suggestion made him wonder if Marionette was perhaps a little too tired to consider the elephant in the room.
"What about Vanny?" he asked a little lower.
"B-Because of Van-nny," Marionette replied. "She coo-ould show up at any tiiime, and I want t-to be herrre when that-t happens. In case she was tryiiing to sc-carrrre us off."
That was a point, but…
"This is risky," Mike reminded.
"Th-This is downrrri-ight idiotic, but tha-at's never stopped-d us beforrre," Marionette playfully batted back. He looked up at Mike with that goofy smile before it softened. "Sh-She knows me… Shhhe may be some-someone whom I o-overlooked."
"There somethin' I'm missing?" Foxy asked.
"We've got a hunch that Vanny's either related to someone involved at the old Freddy's or she's possessed by a victim from the dark ages," Mike explained.
"We're standin' in a two-story arcade inside o' Freddy Fazbear's giant supermall. These be the dark ages," Foxy flatly corrected.
Any further conversation was cut off by the heavy thumps of DJ Music Man crossing the arcade. He wasn't alone either. Charlie and Freddy were leading the way, with Charlie now carrying the Babee and Gregory still in Freddy, while the DJ carried Beelora in front of him, cupped carefully in two hands. Seeing her again reminded Foxy of Marionette's suggestion, especially since the window for leaving the door open was slowly closing in.
She might've given them some problems but compared to many of the real threats they had seen, Beelora wasn't one of them. She was desperate and needy, not malicious. It would be cruel to offer helping hands to those with a history of downright rancid behavior and not her, regardless of how awkward it was going to be to hang out with her after all that.
He made up his mind. As DJ Music Man came up towards the door, preparing to set Beelora down near it, Foxy spoke up.
"How's about you stay out here with us fer a while, Lass? We don't have more than a couple'a hours, but it's better than getting cooped up back in there," Foxy offered.
Beelora, who was tentatively stepping down from the DJ's hands, snapped her head up to look at him. That alone giving off her surprised. She began buzzing, her wings fidgeting, before all of it quickly deflated.
"Thank you… but I can't."
"Says who? Him?" Foxy nodded his head to Freddy, which cued him to step in.
"Beelora, we would be happy to have you with us tonight! If tonight is continuing…?" Freddy looked back to Foxy questioningly.
"Aye."
"Then we would!" Freddy perked up significantly after that as well. "And it is my say. My face is above the door, my name is on the sign, and I want you to have fun with us tonight."
"Freddy…" Gregory gave a quiet warning whisper inside of the bear.
"I insist," the bear warmly offered, heeding Gregory no mind.
Beelora seemed equally surprised by this. She blankly stared at Freddy for a moment before the buzzing returned.
"Then… Then I accept! I would love to," she agreed. Though she still seemed equally uncertain, both from her hesitant tone and the way her hands tightened and tucked together.
She wasn't the only one who was, but she was the least of what Foxy was concerned about. Something about agreeing to stick around longer left him feeling a little wary, regardless of his disappointment in having to leave early. He trusted Marionette's judgement, but he equally had a gut feeling that they could be leaving themselves open to another attack.
Though then again, maybe there was still a chance to salvage the night. Packing up and shipping off with their tails between their legs certainly wasn't going to do that, and they already managed to dodge one obstacle.
But maybe that's what Vanny wanted. Maybe this whole stunt was a way to drive them out and give her a clear pathway to waltz right up to Gregory. If there was one thing he agreed with his brother on wholeheartedly: he wanted to be here if she showed back up.
He would be happy to give her a taste of the classic Freddy's experience.
Mable: We're not quite done with Monty and Moon yet… but that's for another day. I hope you enjoyed!