Mable: Sorry this one took so long, but I've started work on The Broken Circus again. ^_^ Plus, this one wound up being a little longer than expected- but I don't think you'll complain. Anyway, Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Seventy-Three
Nobody expected a raceway to be quiet.
The sound of clattering go-karts barely made it over the rev of their engines, the laughter of the drivers, and the plethora of onlookers, both kids and adults. The ambience music playing overhead peppered with the atmospheric sounds of revving and skidding from the mounted speakers. Automated announcements luring patrons to stop by the line of snack bars or announcing birthday parties in the party garages. It was so much that one couldn't hear themselves think, let alone hear anything else.
It was a busy day at the raceway. Being the Pizzaplex's arguably most popular attraction it often was packed, but today those numbers had doubled. There were people everywhere, and the line to get on the racetrack was backed up nearly to the door.
Though strict guidelines meant only a limited number of racers could be on the track at once. While this should've been for the safety of the racers, it was more for the safety of the brand.
A couple of rowdy teens were leading the way around the track, taking any chance to try and push each other out of the way like it was a game of bumper cars. This was strictly not allowed, but with the cutbacks on human staff there wasn't anyone to stop them. They whizzed by on the track, causing a scene and catching a lot of attention from onlookers.
Until one of the karts bumped and shuddered as it ran over something. The teen driving it acknowledged the occurrence for a second before returning his attention to his race with his friend.
Neither realized how fortunate they were. His tire had caught on a rough, cracking section of track and if he hadn't been going as fast as he was, the concrete could've easily caved under his wheel. They had gotten away by the skin of their teeth.
The next kart was not nearly so lucky.
Driving slowly and staying on a steady track, there came a younger boy steering a kart with help from a Driver Assist Bot, a Staff Bot mounted in the kart to help children drive on their own. These karts were heavier, these bots were programmed to drive slower, and they could recognize and avoid other drivers, but they could not see nor recognize more insidious dangers. Such as the deceptively shallow cracks spiderwebbing out across the track.
The kart drove directly over those cracks when they suddenly failed.
All at once the track failed and the track collapsed in. The kart's front-left wheel was sucked down into the hole, tipping the kart over so far that it nearly fell over but was still lodged upright. The boy cried out in surprise at the sudden motion and soon found himself staring at a tilted world and the crumbling concrete. He struggled against his seatbelt, but it was locked into place, and he couldn't release it, and the Driver Assist Bot could do little more than request for him to return them to the track.
The kart was still revving, trying to free itself but only succeeded in wearing away more of the broken pavement.
"Mom!" the boy screamed. He tried to yank himself out and the kart lurched down further, now teetering at the point of no return. Burying itself deeper into the track, which was coming up to meet him. "MOM!"
All at once another small portion of the cracked track fell in. This was enough to drop the kart in further and send it falling over. The boy looked up at the road coming towards him with the weight of the bot and the kart trapping him underneath.
A clawed hand caught the edge of the kart, saving the boy mere seconds before being crushed.
The kart was hoisted back up and a familiar face peered underneath, her yellow eyes aglow and illuminating the underside of the vehicle. It was Roxanne Wolf.
"Help me!" the boy yelled in a panic.
"I've got you, kid," Roxy promised. Her tone cool, her eyes determined, and she reached under to try and release the seatbelt. When it didn't, she grabbed ahold and ripped it free from the kart. The boy fell out and across her arm and she pulled him out.
By now there was an audience watching. Both onlookers from beside the track and other go-karts that had stopped to watch the scene. She had already sent out a warning to stop all the Driver Assist Bots, so now all she had to worry about was this one and this kart, which had stopped peeling at her command but was now sitting in this hole. She switched out her hand for her foot and flipped the kart with her leg. It landed back onto its wheels with a crash, the motion pulling its front tire free of the hole.
Roxy didn't spare it a second glance as she strode past the kart with the boy still in her arms. She looked around for any sign of his mother amongst the slew of onlookers and instead caught sight of an employee running up- too little too late, in her opinion.
"Roxy! Roxy! You're not supposed to be on the track! We've been through this!" the man scolded.
Her head snapped to him in offense at his chastising- like someone was scolding their dog. To think that a kid almost got in a serious accident and this joker showed up to lecture her on stepping in. She was about to chew him out, wring him out and hang him to dry, but she didn't have a chance to do so.
"There's a hole!" one of the older kids in the stopped karts cried out. "That kid drove into a hole, and it flipped the kart over-!"
"It's right there! Look! There's a hole!" This girl pointed down the track towards the hole.
"It fell!" another called.
A chorus of more kids called for Roxy's defense and finally the employee climbed up onto the edge of the track to see what they were talking about. It took him only moments to spot the roughed-up kart and the sizeable hole in the track and went pale.
Roxy took only the slightest bit of joy in his expression. She would've loved to smirk at him, but this was barely a victory.
"Mom!"
She looked down at the boy and followed his eyes and forward lean right to a woman sprinting up to the track, struggling to get past the crowd that had formed. Clearly the boy's mother, likely having been waiting at the kart boarding and unloading zone.
Roxy ignored the worker and carried the boy to his frantic mother, who was so worked up by the whole thing that she hugged him tight and peppered out apologies like Roxy was a person and not animatronic. She gave a cool nod and headed off towards the register.
Unfortunately, there were a few humans running the register for the raceway, largely to help mediate the large flow of visitors. Staff Bots were effective but could get tripped up and slow down a line. These employees were more startled by Roxy coming in to grab merchandise out of the back than the fact that the raceway had just caved in- word spread fast, they had to know. Not that they were doing anything about it.
One especially feisty woman was trying to corral her, to no avail. Roxy walked right past her and collected a box of keychains and a child sized raceway-themed shirt. One she was sure would match the size of the boy. She then strode out without even offering a word.
It didn't take her too long to locate the mother and son again. By now the medical crew had arrived, which consisted of two people who looked too young to have any form of medical degree- in Roxy's opinion- the two security guards, and some of the on-call technicians. The group both checking on the boy and trying to get details.
"I'll tell you what happened," Roxy announced as she strode up. She then promptly ignored them and turned all of her attention on the boy standing alongside his mother, crouching down to his level.
She made sure he knew how much of a 'brave little man' he was as she gave him his new shirt and a keychain for good measure. The boy still seemed shaken, but he ate up her attention, and she made sure to give him the VIP treatment.
Then she started passing out keychains to any children she could reach. In her opinion it was better to keep guests happy, even if a little trinket wasn't even a band-aid solution. What was Fazbear Entertainment going to do, stop her? One of the technicians tried, all it took was a sharp look to get him to back off. They might've gotten away with pushing Freddy and Chica around, but she would be a dead-last loser before she let them tread on her toes.
There was at least one technician who was willing to hear her out about what happened without any antics, and that was Delilah. Of course it was Delilah. She was one of the only female technicians and the only one who Roxy ever let work on her, when given the choice.
Though once Chaz showed up everything defaulted to him but by then Roxy had already spoken her peace and went to placate the crowd as they called for guests to leave the raceway. A good decision in Roxy's opinion. She would rather have the raceway shut down than have it open with the main attraction barred off. That would just be embarrassing. It was all or nothing in her eyes. At least her presence, mingling with the crowd, gave the kids that one-on-one experience.
But once they were gone, or mostly gone, Roxy headed downstairs and secluded herself into an empty party garage. She needed a minute alone to recollect herself and couldn't risk getting attention crossing the Pizzaplex when she wasn't at her best.
She combed back her hair as she walked into the small party room, walking around in a circle between the tables before stopping at one, resting her hands on it. It was crazy to think that a kid almost got hurt and that her own raceway had a collapse.
…
…
…A collapse from the same cracks she had reported DAYS AGO.
With a frustrated snarl, Roxanne slammed her fists down on the flimsy table. She didn't expect it to buckle and collapse at her feet. She looked down startled at it. Was everything around here so cheaply made? No wonder Monty kept breaking stuff.
Having let off a little steam, she gave a small sigh, groomed back her mane once more and shook it out, and then turned to head the party garage. It was fine. They came for her, not just the go-karts. She would just have to work harder to keep the customers happy. She could do that, and maybe then the technicians could get off their asphalt dragging backends and fix her raceway.
She pushed her way past a Staff Bot investigating the sound of the breaking table with a deflated, "Move," and walked off to finish off an already exhausting day.
…
The raceway was going to be shut down for a few days. It was the biggest fiasco that had hit the attraction since opening, though due to waivers they easily skirted a lawsuit. What they didn't skirt was that the track was going to need significant repairs, on and under, to stabilize it enough to be safe for drivers again. That stopped all guest traffic into the raceway.
Though Foxy wasn't any guest. He was getting the chance to see the Pizzaplex's dirty laundry once again like he had signed up for a tour. It was also his first time in Roxy Raceway and if he didn't have the knowledge of the fiasco that occurred there, just the sight of the enormous attraction might've turned him green with envy. Or at least boiled him from the inside out.
Roxy Raceway was a huge canyon-themed raceway. This side of the huge room consisted mostly of food stall from the moment you came in until you walking down the big stairs that led into the raceway proper, with the party garages stationed directly under those stalls. The register was to the far right of the entry and the direct right of the stairs, and in front of it was a 'road' that led towards the Beauty Salon. The racetrack was planted in the center of the gymnasium and most of the other side consisted of bleachers.
They walked down to the ground floor and then up to the edge of the track closest to the small sinkhole.
"There it is," Freddy announced. He popped open his stomach hatch so Gregory could climb out and then lifted him up onto his shoulders to see.
"It's not that big," Gregory said. He sounded disappointed.
"Aye, it doesn't look that big from here, but that'll suck a little kart in faster than yar whirlpool," Foxy pointed out. He pointed at the cracked. "Ya see those cracks? Those be a disasters waitin' to happen. They're lucky it stopped where it did."
"And it only stopped where it did because Roxy stepped in," Freddy said. His eyes were lidded with sympathy. "It is such a shame. She takes so much pride in her racetrack. She alerted the technicians over a week ago, but there was nothing they could do…"
"There was somethin' they could do, but it meant shuttin' down the racetrack and that meant taking a hit to where it really hurts: the treasury," Foxy said grimly. "Bloody cheapskates cutting corners."
"Well, not anymore! The construction crew will be coming in and be reinforcing the entire track in only a few business days. It will be safer than it ever was!"
Neither Foxy nor Gregory was as convinced but neither felt like breaking that naïve optimism.
"Not that it was not already safe. The karts are very sturdy and younger guests can only drive under the tutelage of a Driver Assist Bot. Thankfully, the child who was in the kart that got stuck in the hole had a Driver Assist Bot on board to help-."
"Hey! Who's down there?" Roxy's voice echoed from the second floor.
Freddy gasped and quickly helped Gregory down, intending to let him back into his stomach hatch. But when Foxy looked around and bolted, Gregory decided to follow along with his lead, hustling off for a hiding spot nearby. Freddy straightened up and tried to look casual, hand folded behind his back trying to twiddle his thumbs as he waited for Roxy to arrive, which she did shortly afterwards.
"Freddy?" she asked in disbelief.
"Oh, hello, Roxy! I was just… taking a look at the track!"
"Taking a look at the scene of the crime," Roxy said in understanding. She leaned against the barrier and looked at the broken track. "It's ridiculous that it came to this. Kid almost got seriously hurt, the raceway's shut down- I've been seeing cracks popping up for weeks and nobody's done anything about them."
"I know. I am sorry," Freddy said sincerely.
"I see a lot of what goes on around here. Even before I got these upgrades. It's not easy to hide something from me."
"I suppose not…"
"And that includes your boyfriend over there. Hey!" She turned her head and called back. "You can come out. I already saw you."
Foxy and Gregory were both currently parked behind a forklift carrying some supplies, which had been brought in shortly before closing and made for the perfect hiding spot. Or so it seemed, as apparently even though crouched behind it, she still knew he was there.
At first Foxy didn't know how to respond. He looked to Gregory who was still staring wide-eyed in equal surprise before realizing that if he didn't come out, she might come over here. He made a gesture for Gregory to stay put and then slowly began to stand up.
He leaned just enough to peek out from behind the forklift, still not entirely convinced that Roxy hadn't mistaken him for Sun. He saw Freddy standing there as stiff as a board, eyes wide, mouth tight, looking like his battery was about to drop out his bottom.
Meanwhile, Roxy looked… absolutely unphased. A glazed look in her lidded eyes.
"This isn't the first time she's seen me," Foxy realized. That alone had him swearing inwardly as he stepped outand clearly into view.
"…Ahoy."
"Oh, hey. It's Captain Foxy. What a surprise," Roxy said, making her lack of surprise abundantly clear.
Freddy looked to her in shock. "You know who he is?"
"How could I not? He's our competition. Of course you wouldn't know that with how often he's hanging out here," Roxy remarked.
"Ya knew I was here?" Foxy asked, inching over. Every time they looked over at him he was a little closer.
"What am I, blind and deaf?"
"Roxy can see through walls," Freddy said. Distantly, as though he was suddenly realizing it for himself. Foxy's head snapped to him.
"She what?"
"In a sense," Roxy replied. Flipping her hair back over her shoulder.
"How in the bloody 'ell can you see through walls?" Foxy asked in disbelief. Finally getting the nerve to storm over demanding answers.
"I double as security, so I can see Staff Bots and animatronics on the grid. You're too outdated to spot, but I did see Freddy walking around talking with you. And heard him. And you. You two weren't exactly subtle," Roxy explained unphased.
"Why… did you not say anything?" Freddy dared to ask.
"Because after three days of you two screwing around, I realized he wasn't going to do anything."
"But…"
"Normally I'd care, but I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a lot of crazy going around," Roxy explained. "Monty's sneaking in girls, Chica's in love with some… clown, Sun's hiding the other Sun up in his bedroom, and my hairdresser's been hearing noises coming from under the salon to the point where he's about to have a major breakdown. Frankly, Captain Cashmere here is the least of my worries."
Foxy didn't even know how to react to that comment other than a somewhat confused scoff. "Well, fer yer info, I ain't the only animatronic from the outside who's got in. I'm sure Chica told ye about the lass she chased."
"The striped mime girl. Yeah, I've seen her," Roxy replied. "She's pretty slippery."
"It runs in the family," Foxy remarked, thumping his fist on his chest with pride.
Roxy shot him a sly grin. "I'm sure it does. I'm sure you can slip through a lot of cracks when you're your size."
Foxy was taken off-guard by the quip and narrowed his eye. "That a crack at my expense last, Lassie?"
"No, Sir," Roxy replied in a way that somehow still seemed smug. "But how is the business doing?"
"Bloody fantastic! We've got just as much work now's we had before this joint opened, and that was already a whole lot," Foxy bragged.
"That's a shame. I was hoping we'd throw a little work your way," Roxy said. "Guess pirates are a little outdated."
"No more than cowboys. Or whatever theme yer goin' for here," Foxy muttered. Sending a scrutinizing look around the room.
"Desert racing. Burning rubber on a sunset highway with high-speed motor mayhem," Roxy recited.
"Ah, Coyote vs. Roadrunner, the old classic! I knew I recognized ye from somewhere- ya just tossed a wig on."
This finally hit a nerve. The smugness dropped off Roxanne's face and her leg twitched a little. Foxy returned a 'foxy' grin and Freddy took the moment to try and break up the dispute.
"But, yes! The Pirate Cove is doing very well!" Freddy said, trying to smooth it over. "Roxy, do Chica and Monty-?"
"Aye, verrry well. See, not all kiddos be able to dump their parents' paychecks fer a couple'a bun-less burgers and mini-golf in a steam room," Foxy seamlessly batted back.
"That's a good point. For every top-of-the-line brand there's usually a more affordable model. Might not be as state-of-the-art, but you'll get your money's worth," Roxy replied with a swish of her tail. She then answered Freddy, "Chica does, Monty doesn't."
"Least my place'll be open tomorrow."
Roxy shot daggers at Foxy and he returned a nasty little chuckle.
"It doesn't matter. The people come for me, not for go-karting. They could do that a lot cheaper somewhere else." She then tossed and flipped her hair. "And this is all real."
"Aye, so is mine," Foxy replied, mockingly pretending to fluff a non-existent coif. "But that's great!... Fer a side-character."
"I forget, when exactly did you get dropped from the lineup?" Roxy asked a little more sharply.
"When I got a big enough name to open my own place and get me own cartoon," Foxy cockily replied.
"…Funny, you look taller in it."
"Aye, and I looked damned good in it too. Prob'ly why it's raking in the booty."
"The only booty you're getting is whatever you dig up yourself." Freddy gawked at this.
"Why go diggin' when there's already a big hole right there?" Foxy pointed over towards the track. "Looks just big enough to sink someone's career."
"That hole is tiny. The only thing fitting in there is you."
The whole time this exchange of barely disguised insults was being slung back and forth, Freddy stood there mouth agape and tried to both process the information and figure out how to stop this possible disaster.
Meanwhile, Gregory had taken this distraction to sneak away. He didn't want to take the risk of getting spotted and resulting in another chase that would no doubt lead to that social worker sniffing around tomorrow. So, instead he crept all the way to the register and let himself inside. The little building him giving him a much safer hiding spot while allowing him to still peek out the service window to see what was going on.
There was even some candy sitting out. Gregory nearly swiped it up before the thought of Freddy crept up on him- "Gregory, that is stealing! It is one thing to take what you need, but another to take what you do not." Freddy had never actually said that to him, but it sounded like something he would say. Though it was against his nature, Gregory pulled off his backpack and went digging into his own candy stash. It was a little easier giving up free food when he knew he'd get more.
As he was unzipping his bag, he thought he heard something. He looked back over his shoulder and saw nothing, he peeked out of the window and saw a very offended Roxy pointing her finger at Foxy who had his hands up in defense, Freddy separating them.
He watched the scene with furrowed brows for a second before hearing a soft knock. He jolted and snapped his head back to looked over his shoulder. He stared at the wall behind him, dividing the middle of the register office, with unease.
Then a pair of white ears slowly slid out from behind the wall. Followed by a pair of glowing red eyes. A black nose and long whiskers about a long-stretched smile of a mouth.
It was Vanny. Gregory spun around quickly and clutch his bag like he was about to beat her off with it. She stuck out a white and pink-pad gloved hand and waved at him. He did not return it. Then she flipped her hand and beckoned him towards her.
"Fat chance," he muttered. A bit of defiance even with how much she creeped him out.
She leaned further out with a dramatic cock of her head, one that made Gregory cringe inwardly a little. Her hands gripping at the edge of the wall and arms bending until…
She sprung. She all but leapt out and dashed up to him in a matter of two seconds. Gregory swung his bag at her to no success as she grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved her gloved hand over his mouth. He tried to twist out of her grip and for a moment he did, but then she grabbed him from behind and snatched him off his feet. She labored with his weight as she dragged him back away from the door. He dropped his bag and began to grab at her hands, not daring to yell, knowing he couldn't risk attracting Roxy too.
He continued thrashing as she started to drag behind the corner. Giving a defiant, "Let go of me!" and trying to lurch out of her grip. He kicked a shelf in his efforts which clattered loudly and some stuff fell and rolled off of it. The noise was louder than he had anticipated and Vanny went rigid, sitting up at alert like an actual rabbit listening for danger, and then yanking him back against her. One arm wrapped around him and trapping his arm to his body, her hand tightly pressed back over his mouth.
She stepped back into a dark corner behind some shelves with a mocking, "Shhhhh…" Then she waited.
It wasn't more than a few seconds later when the reception door was shoved open, and Roxanne stepped inside. She looked around the reception suspiciously before heading further inside. The heavy footsteps following her to the door signaled that Freddy too was there.
He could see Roxy's shadow and make out some of her form through the shelves that separated them as she looked at stuff on the floor.
"Here's what fell," Roxy said suspiciously.
"How odd. Perhaps it simply was not stacked effectively?" Freddy downplayed. He sidestepped past her and over to some lockers in the corner.
Now Gregory could see him, but he couldn't see Gregory, as his back was to him while he tried to peek into the slates of the lockers. Likely assuming that Gregory was hiding in one, totally unaware of the situation going on behind him.
Gregory tried to wave for his attention and then grab for the closest shelf, but Vanny easily twisted him aside, so it was out of his reach. Just out of his reach, as though baiting him. Watching him through those glowing red eyes as he desperately tried to get attention.
He couldn't grab his watch and he couldn't flag Freddy. He could walk away and leave him, and they were right beside the back door. He couldn't see Vanny and maybe he wouldn't see him with how she was holding him. She felt wrong, she smelled like oil and dust, her suit burned his skin, and he was starting to hyperventilate because Freddy was still not seeing him. Even though it was seconds it felt like hours.
Gregory had to decide right then and he did the second he grabbed Vanny's gloved hand, pulled it down as much as it would go, and bit down on it as hard as he could.
Vanny gave a staticky gasp and wrenched her hand back. Gregory then threw all his weight on her other arm to escape, and her grip had loosened just enough that he was able to rip free. He stumbled over his feet and landed heavily on the floor.
Freddy spun around and gasped at the sight of Gregory seemingly falling out from behind a shelf. Before he could do anything, Roxy skidded in around the corner beside him and saw as well. Gregory stared at her with wide eyes and clenched teeth.
"HEY!" Roxy barked. She darted forward.
"Roxy, no!" Freddy cried.
Gregory dropped his head and covered it with his arms.
Roxy ran in with her claws and teeth bared-
straight past Gregory-
and grabbed Vanny by the shoulders and all but slammed her back against the wall.
"There you are! Did you think we weren't going to find you?! You've got a lot of nerve showing up here!" Roxy snarled as her claws dug into the shoulders of the woman's suit.
Vanny gave a frightened noise warbling through distortion. Her fingers clawing at the wall as she slid down meekly under Roxy's gaze. The wolf rolled her eyes in disgust and released one shoulder to instead grab her by the front of her suit, mostly by the bow, and then press her firmly back to the wall while freeing up her other hand to press a finger to her temple.
"Security alert! Vanessa, I found psycho running around in the rabbit costume! I've got her pinned down in the registration office of Roxy Raceway!"
During this, Foxy had charged in thinking that Roxy was talking to Gregory. Something that was quickly disproven when Gregory darted out between him and Freddy, who ushered him past and then followed to scoop him up into his stomach hatch. Foxy was left standing there watching Roxanne manhandle the elusive rabbit lady.
Except what she had pinned up against the wall didn't look like a person at all. It was more a distortion of staticky space. The walls seemed to be bleeding into the center of this misshapen space. His own vision grew staticky and warbly just looking at the center of it.
That's why Freddy couldn't see her. She was wearing some sort of cloaking device to disguise her from animatronics, just like with those old safe rooms. Only difference was that this one didn't work on her. He couldn't see her, but he saw where she was supposed to be.
That was when something shifted. Roxy noticed Vanny twist up under her grip and the eyes of her mask flickering and glowing brighter. She lifted her hands as though in defense, her fingers shaking and wiggling. Roxy gave her a warning look.
Vanny suddenly clapped her hands down onto Roxy's arm and all hell broke loose.
"WhAT?" Roxy's question turned into a scream as she thrashed, wrenching back from the grip like it had just shocked her. But it was apparent that it hadn't, it was something else that sent her into convulsions and pained, panicked babbling. She released Vanny and collapsed to her knees, and after a moment Vanny released her as well. Roxy was still twitching and malfunctioning, words stringing together and jaw snapping open and shut. Her eyes rolling around lost.
"ROXY!" Freddy cried, witnessing the whole scene from behind Foxy.
Vanny's stoic confidence suddenly shifted, and she stumbled aside and back against the other door. She turned and threw it open before running through. Foxy's eyes jumped from Roxy to the blur now disappearing through the doorway and he made the rash decision to bolt after her, charging through the doorway, slamming open the door in the process, and racing after the blur.
Freddy knelt down alongside Roxanne, making sure not to shift Gregory but also concerned at her state. Her shoulder was hot to the touch and her fans had already kicked on full blast.
"Roxy, are you okay?! What did she do to you?!" he asked with worry.
Roxy struggled to shake it off. Her eyes finally began focusing but she still seemed to be in some sort of pain. Yet she did pull herself together enough to speak.
"Go… Get… Her…" Roxy snarled through her seizing.
"But what about you?"
"I'm fine… Just… GET HER."
Freddy nodded and got up before striding out the door after Foxy. His eyes narrowing as he approached the stairs. "Gregory, hold on! There will be turbulence."
"Got it," Gregory agreed. He held onto Freddy's endoskeleton and wall and locked himself into place. He still was painlessly jolted as Freddy bounded up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Foxy was swiftly catching up to Vanny. Darting around the equipment left outside of the entrance to Roxy Raceway and closing in on the blur.
He knew that what happened to Roxy was the same thing that happened to Marionette, and he knew that touching her was risking him going through the same thing. His only chance was to incapacitate her. If she was trapped underneath him then it didn't matter how much she 'jolted' him, she would still be stuck there until everyone else showed up. He could take her out in one well timed leap.
She took the long way around a stack of wooden pallets and Foxy took the short, leaping up onto it and steadying himself on it before fixing his eye on the inversion of space passing in front of him.
"I've gotcha now!" Foxy yelled. He leapt down off the pallets and onto the floor before pushing off to dive at her.
In that split second something had caught around his ankle, and he found himself crashing to the floor. His hook just missing Vanny as it swiped through the air and ended up stabbed down on the tiles.
Vanny fled like a frightened animal, or to Foxy, like a singularity blur sliding away from him. Not yet willing to give up, Foxy fought against the wires caught around his foot, reaching down to untangle them.
"Foxy!" Freddy called as he ran up, seeing his friend on the ground. "What happened?!"
"Got caught up by some bloody- and now she's gettin' away! That's her right there!" He pointed to the vague distortion in the distance.
Freddy's ears twitched reflexively as he listened. Then he got up and continued to sprint after her. "I will take continue pursuit."
"But Freddy, you can't see her?!" Gregory called out of his stomach hatch.
"I cannot see her, but I can surely hear her!"
Freddy thumped along into the lobby above Fazer Blast, struggling to listen and hearing the clattering against a chain length fence. The employees had already mounted a gate to block Roxy Raceway's entrance from the stairs that led down to Fazer Blast's, and coincidentally enough the chains on it were still shaking when he ran up. He could hear footsteps that he couldn't see and shortly afterwards the automatic door into Fazer Blast.
He tried the gate with all his might, but wouldn't open, and with Gregory inside he couldn't risk ramming or kicking it in. He would have to take the long way and began to run again, heading out the security door into the atrium and towards the escalators.
While he did, he lifted a finger to his temple. Eyes narrowed and focused on where he was going, he started sending Sun a warning. "Sun, the dancing rabbit lady is here! Vanny! She attacked Gregory and Roxy and now she-!"
"-s headed towards the daycare. I think." He puffed out as he continued to run across the atrium. He could barely see her on the far side before she skirted through the security door towards the stairs. His heart leapt into his throat at the thought of her-
-at the visions that were dancing behind his eyes. Freddy had never had something like that happen before. Like a vivid daydream, where he was still here and present, but he also suddenly had this reflection or recollection on a completely different event.
"Freddy?" Gregory called from inside.
Freddy could hear him but for the moment he was so detached that he couldn't properly respond. It was as though he was in shock, still reeling from what he had seen.
He vaguely acknowledged the rapid footsteps behind him before Roxanne came bolting out from under the security door, coming to a stop with a wobbly stagger as she flung her head around searching for Vanny.
"Where is she?! Where did she go?!" she asked. Freddy was silent, which she noted and approached. "Freddy?" He looked to her distantly. She naturally assumed he too had been attacked and had just managed to stay on his feet. "I'll go after her. Just point me in the right direction," she requested.
"…F-Fazer Blast," Freddy quietly said.
"She jumped that gate, didn't she? I knew it. Alright, just stay here and sit tight. Ride this out. Don't go trying to be a hero," Roxy instructed. She then turned around, with another slight fumble, and ran back into the entrance.
Freddy could then hear a brief exchange.
"Of course a slimy little rat like that would slip through here. That's right! Sneak away, you coward!... I've got to get down there." There was some clattering on the fence. "Ugh, I can't jump like this. You're going to have to give me a boost."
"Wha? I can't do that!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I got one workin' hand! There ain't a boost balancing on a hook." A brief pause. "I can jump it."
"I'll believe it when I see it. I'm taking the long way."
"Just have Freddy boost ya then!"
"I can't! He's messed up now too!... Forget it, I'm just going to-."
There was some heavy thumping from inside the Fazer Blast lobby, some cracking, and obscenity from Foxy, and then Roxy's footsteps as she ran into Fazer Blast.
It was then that Gregory felt like they were alone enough to speak up.
"Freddy, what happened? Why did you stop?" Gregory asked.
Freddy finally felt stable enough to speak. He had to be; Gregory deserved an explanation.
"I had a… a dream," he said.
"A… dream? Did you fall asleep?"
"N-No, I was just going after her and then… I saw this image in my mind of someone chasing her. It was very strange."
"Like a daydream?"
"I suppose so… Hold on a moment, I need to tell Sun." Freddy returned his finger to his temple.
During this entire time since the moment he had sent his unfinished message, Sun had been sending non-stop messages.
"What?! What is she doing?!"
"Freddy?! Answer me! What's going on?!"
"I'm coming down there, just hang on!"
"Or up there!"
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"I'm coming. Don't move." That time it was Moon's voice.
Not wanting to worry him any further, Freddy lifted a finger to his temple.
"I am here. My apologies, I did not mean to cut off like that… I will explain what happened later, but for now Roxy and Foxy are in pursuit of Vanny," Freddy sent. Within a few seconds he received an answer.
"Look to your left."
Freddy turned his head.
There was Moon perched on the nearby railing.
"Oh, Moondrop! I did not see you there, or even hear a jingle."
"Where is shhheeee?" Moon growled out.
"In Fazer Blast. Roxy has already gone in after her- but! Wait! You cannot touch her," Freddy quickly added. Lifting a hand to stop Moon the moment he hopped down from the railing. "When she touched Roxy, something happened to her. It was like she was electrocuted!"
"Electrocuted?... But she got up?" Moon inquired.
"She did," Freddy agreed. He gave a slightly stressed smile. "She is a hard one to keep down."
Moon hummed and readjusted his footing. "I'm going to join her hunt."
"I planned on doing so as well, but with Foxy having followed Roxy into Fazer Blast, there is no one left to watch Gregory."
"Ahoy."
Freddy looked back to see Foxy standing at the still open security door.
"Oh, there you are! I thought you went after Roxy. How long have you been there?"
"Feels like damn near twelve years now."
"Language," Moon warned.
"Ye and I both know the lad knows much worse than that. We've seen what he's put on the high scores up in the arcade," Foxy waved off.
"….That was you?!" Moon choked so hard that Sun's voice started coming out.
Even without seeing his arms thrust down at his sides and his red eyes leveled at Freddy's stomach, Gregory knew it was aimed towards him. "Uh…"
"This is no time for getting sidetracked. Roxy may already be dealing with Vanny alone," Freddy insisted with growing concern.
"Yer okay?" Foxy asked. That was why he stayed behind, to check on Freddy. The bear assured him he was. "Then aye, we'll go after her. I can see her too. Somewhat. Looks like a blur, but I know where she is." He looked to Moon. "You?"
"I will see her," Moon promised.
"An' that leaves you to keep Gregory safe."
"I will guard him with my life, just… Please, protect Roxy and find this rabbit lady if you can," Freddy agreed.
Both Foxy and Moon shared a cryptic nod and look towards each other before heading through the security door and to the gate. Both climbed it quickly, Moon a little easier but Foxy held his own, and then headed into Fazer Blast.
In the meantime, Freddy walked almost aimlessly down the escalator and into the atrium. Eventually he sat down on the steps near the bottom with a sigh, being sure to be careful as he did. He sighed as he sat down, his look thoughtful and his mind filled. Though he made sure to keep an eye and ear out for anyone who might come up.
After a few moments of uncharacteristic quietness, Gregory spoke up from inside him.
"Are you really okay?" he asked. Even though he tried to hide his worry it still came through.
Freddy weighed whether to be honest or to try and spare Gregory from concern, but he finally decided the former route was better. Gregory would know if he was fibbing.
"I am not sure…" he admitted.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Perhaps…" Freddy sighed again. "Gregory, I have never discussed this with you, but… I believe at some point I might have been human."
"I sorta figured."
"Really? How?" Freddy asked with surprise.
"Well, Foxy was a human and so was Sun and Moon. And Mari and Charlie, and Jake, and probably Ennard. They were all humans before they became robots, so… I thought maybe you were too," Gregory explained. "Is that what the dream was about?"
"Maybe? I was a- or more or less, I was seeing through the eyes of a human as he chased after Vanny. He said she was heading towards the… daycare…" He looked off across the atrium with a hum. "Perhaps I could ask Moon."
"Or Jake, maybe."
"Perhaps. He does seem to keep an eye out with his Staff Bots…" Suddenly, Freddy gasped. "…Gregory! Are you alright?"
"What?" Gregory asked in confusion.
"I am so sorry. I was so distracted by Vanny and myself that I did not stop to make sure that you were safe. Did she hurt you? I saw you fall," Freddy fussed worriedly. He barely fought the urge to open his hatch, pull him out, and look him over for any bruises or wounds. He thankfully couldn't detect any blood, but that didn't mean that he might not be hurt.
"No, I'm okay! I just tripped after I got away from her," Gregory assured. He smiled a little at the concern.
"Good. But on earth did you get away? Vanny is very crafty."
"I bit her."
"Gregory!" Freddy gasped.
"What? She was grabbing me!"
"Yes, and you had every right to defend yourself, but that is very unsanitary!" Freddy lightly scolded. Gregory rolled his eyes but smiled a little. "But I am relieved you are safe. I should not have let you go alone."
"I was fine on my own until she showed up," Gregory said bitterly. The unfortunate side effect of Vanny's appearances meant that it looked like he couldn't take care of himself. He hated that.
Freddy laid a protective hand on his stomach hatch and looked out over the atrium. This truly wasn't as safe of a place as it should've been for kids and adults alike. That was disappointing.
But he could be here. He just had to be even more careful, even more diligent, and even more aware of Gregory's health.
Speaking of which, it was time to have the talk.
"…Gregory, I must ask you a serious question. It may make you uncomfortable, but I need you to be honest, please."
"Okay?" Gregory said questioningly.
"…How recently was your last dental check-up?"
…
It was a dark and fearsome night. The wind was howling like wolves outside and a fierce blizzard of ice and hail beat down on the windows. It was awful outside and inside as the Princess fled through the castle.
Up the winding staircase and down the long bridge she ran. She could hear ghouls and goblins roaring in the dungeon far below and knew that she mustn't look down. She ran as fast as she could and right into the safety of her chambers, shutting the heavy wooden door behind her. Now she was safe. Here in her room where no monsters-
No, no, leave that on, Honeybunny. I can't tell you the story of the world's most beautiful princess if you take that off. Keep it on. Good.
The dear Princess collapsed into her throne in tears. She had just had a terrible fight with her ugly stepsister. Well, not quite ugly on the outside, but hideous on the inside. On the outside she wasn't much to write home about either. With her long dog snout and her goofy teeth, and the way she could run so fast and still waddled around like her pants were full of applesauce. She woofed and woofed until the Princess got so fed up that she ran away.
And for your information, the Princess had the most beautiful smile. It could light up a room like that. Isn't that right?
But the Princess knew deep in her heart that it wasn't what was on the outside that mattered, it was on the inside. She knew that someday her ugly stepsister would look just as hideous on the outside as she did on the inside.
Because fairy tales always had happy endings, and this one wasn't any different.
…
…
…
They never did find Vanny. Roxy and Foxy had scoured the entirety of Fazer Blast's maze on their own. Moon spent most of his time darting between and haunting the entrance and exit, making sure she didn't slip by, but they hadn't found her. Roxy had a hunch she had escaped through the inaccessible spiral staircase.
There was also a staff only door that led to the servers underneath Fazer Blast. It seemed like they led to that spiral staircase, but the door had been reinforced with a high security clearance and while Roxy could get it to open for her, and likely Moon could've too, there was no way the rabbit could've. Besides, the low temperature high humidity atmosphere of the room would've ruined Roxy's hair.
So, they walked out of there empty-handed. Roxy felt like a disappointment. She continued to stalk up and down the atrium all night waiting for her to eventually come out of either Fazer Blast or Bonnie Bowl, but she never did.
After last night, Roxy could use a distraction and normally birthday parties offered than and more. Unfortunately, with the raceway closed and the party garages having to be maneuvered and rebooked, Roxy wasn't feeling much like partying. In fact, she wasn't feeling much like entertaining crowds at all. Which was notably unfortunate as, without her raceway to escape to, she was stuck walking the atrium until it was time for the next Rockstar Row photo shoot or meet and greet.
It felt like everything was coming up roadkill today. But Roxy still pulled herself together for the party. She wouldn't be caught dead looking anything less than perfect. Hair combed and tail fluffed, she strode to the party room- stewing internally but cool on the outside, save her twitchy leg acting- and stopped in front of it posed with her hands on her hips.
She nudged out her foot to activate the automatic door, still in her pose as it opened. She was ready to be adored by a room filled with excited children.
What she found instead was an empty room. At first, she had thought there had been a mistake and she had been assigned the wrong one, because it was decorated for a party but there clearly wasn't one going on. The table was set with paper plates and party hats, there was a cluster of freshly filled balloons, but there were no children.
Or that's what she thought when she first looked in. In reality, there was a single child sitting in a chair at the opposite end of the table. Her legs were pulled up to her chest with her resting on the seat, and her face buried into her arms that rested on her knees. It wasn't until she lifted her head that Roxy even noticed she was there.
Her eyes were red with tears. Smeared black and glittery purple makeup stained her cheeks.
Oh…
It didn't take more than a second to read that room.
Roxy immediately got to work, starting with getting back into character. She looked around nonchalantly.
"First one here? Well, they call me the fastest for a reason," she bragged. Though it was more playful than her usual self-compliments. She walked down the table and knelt beside the girl's chair. "You must be the birthday girl, right?" she asked. The girl nodded. "I had a feeling. Love your makeup."
"Th-Thank you." She carefully, barely wiped her eye with the back of her hand. Unaware how much the makeup had already smeared. "I don't think anybody's coming."
"I'm sure they'll show. Better late than never, right? We'll just have to get started without them," Roxy assured her. This rewarded her with a tiny smile. "What's your name, Birthday Girl?"
"It's Cassie," she replied. She looked a little embarrassed as continued to try and cover up her tears. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be. I'd cry too if I had to wait for a bunch of slowpokes to show up before I could celebrate my birthday," Roxy assured her.
Even though her wording seemed to brush off the idea that the kids weren't coming, her sympathetic tone gave away too well that she was apologetic.
Cassie was an adorable girl. Her short, wavy brown hair was pulled back into two low buns held with hairbands with little plastic purple balls on them. Her hair matched well with her darker complexion, as did the sharp purple of her lipstick and eyeshadow- not that she needed it. Not that a kid her age should've been wearing such heavy makeup, but Roxy could tell that she applied it herself so she wouldn't hold it against her parents.
Though she would definitely hold the fact that her parents weren't here against her parents.
Cassie wore a lilac shirt with short puff sleeves, a dark purple pleated skirt, and light and dark purple and white sneakers dotted with red stars on the side. Those Roxy recognized of the bat as being part of the Pizzaplex's line of shoes.
With a sweet looking face and a fashion style that got Roxy's typically hyper-critical pass, it didn't make sense that she would get ditched for her party. At least, not to Roxy. Kids could be so fickle, though it was also very possible that some of them just couldn't afford the cost of admission. Surely not all of them though. Laziness, Roxy decided. A couple of kids too lazy to show up for what was pretty much free cake. Probably a bunch of brats.
So, Roxy made sure to make up for every one of them. After all, the most important guests were already here.
For example, she only gave them a five minute 'last chance' to get there before she was coaxing Cassie into whacking open the wolf-shaped pinata. Sacrificing her mini-self for the grape flavored candy hiding within.
Roxy didn't usually get a chance to have a true one-on-one experience with many children. Birthday parties usually consisted of a mass of kids that made up 'the party' and thus involved a strict schedule that couldn't easily be deviated from.
But with one kid that same act wouldn't work. Cassie would know if she was adhering to a routine, and at this point she deserved better than that anyways. Roxy managed to talk one of the daycare desk girls into heading over to her green room and getting some stuff for her. As much as she didn't want anyone rooting around in her things, it spared her from having to leave and risk getting held up on the way back.
First thing first was to fix the makeup. As soon as Roxy suggested a touch-up Cassie got a downright nervous look, only then noticing a smear on the back of her hand and cringing. Roxy downplayed how rough it looked and showed her how to remove the makeup with one of her cleaning wipes- the same sold at the salon, so safe for human skin.
Like her shoes, her cosmetics had also come from the Pizzaplex's own line. While Roxy didn't have the exact sparkling shade on hand, she did have a very similar one in solid color. She applied it much lighter than Cassie had but still a little darker than she might've recommended, so it wouldn't look too dramatic of a toning down. Birthday Girl wanted to look glamorous, Birthday Girl was going to look glamorous. But just to be safe, no mascara.
Then it was time for nails. Roxy had never had the chance to paint a guest's nails before. She had the perfect glossy purple to go with the girl's ensemble and Cassie sat still and watched eagerly as she painted each nail. Some casual chatting accompanying it, like two girls at the salon instead of performer and partygoer. Cassie seemed to be enjoying herself though, not even getting too upset as she admitted that she had invited her entire class- not one showed.
She was on her second hand when the door opened. Cassie's head snapped over and Roxy glanced out of the corner of her eye, and both were let down to see it wasn't at least one kid but one of the technicians, Chaz.
Roxy was about to question his appearance before she was answered by Cassie.
"Hi, Uncle Chaz."
"Hey, Sweetie. How's it hanging? Having fun?"
"Yes! Roxanne Wolf is doing my nails," Cassie said. There was a fangirlish edge to her voice that Roxy hadn't detected earlier. It was a nice little boost to her ego.
"They're looking good," Chaz complimented. He set down the armful of gifts he was carrying down on the table one by one. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop off some gifts."
Cassie looked over them curiously. Two medium-regular sized presents, one narrow and rectangular one, and a small one. It was the small one that she locked her eyes onto, along with the label slapped on the top of it.
"From Dad?" Cassie asked in surprise.
"From the man himself."
"Is it really from Dad?" she asked doubtfully. Her voice falling a little.
"I promise. He had that thing squirreled away in his closet, right between the Christmas lights and a box of old gym shorts," Chaz exaggerated. He crouched down with the slightest grunt. "I'm sorry I had to work today. Aunt Leah is too, but we're going to take you out for dinner tonight to make up for it. You're going to eat so much pasta you're going to explode."
Cassie laughed a little. "Eww."
Roxy was getting a better read on the situation and things were finally starting to make more sense. She also noticed Chaz look around at the room twice and not once ask where the other kids were. He picked up quickly and ran with it as fast as she had. Good. Between this and the daycare fetch girl, it was good to see some of the staff keeping up with her.
"It's okay. I know you're busy," Cassie assured him.
"You're a good kid, Cass," Chaz said. "Before I get going, Roxy, can I talk to you for a second? I'm not going to break up the fun it's just a quick thing about Monty. We're having a little issue."
This was strange. Not the Monty thing, Monty had been acting out a lot more recently, but the fact that Chaz wanted to speak with her. When it came to employees, they either treated the animatronics like they were freakishly deformed staff members or brainless robots. Chaz was in a whole different category; he didn't trust animatronics and he very rarely spoke to them on a personal basis.
Weird. Probably something about the party, she realized. She played along.
"Is he sulking because of the passes again? Ugh, alright. Just let me finish up."
"What's wrong with Monty?" Cassie asked.
"He kept handing out passes that he's not supposed to."
"Oh… That doesn't sound that bad."
"It's not. He's just being a big baby about it," Roxy said with no maliciousness. She finished up the first coat of Cassie's nails. "There you go. Gorgeous," Roxy appraised her own work. "Just blow on these a little. I'll be right back."
She stepped out the door with Chaz and let it shut before looking to him expectantly, arms crossed across her chest.
"So, I know this is against the rules, but since the party stated a little late why don't you throw in an extra ten, fifteen minutes. You're not booked again until two," Chaz tried to casually nudge.
Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong wording and Roxy was now shooting daggers at him. "I wasn't late," she nearly growled.
"No, I mean… 'The party started late' so 'give her a few more minutes'," Chaz clarified. "And if anyone gets heat for it, it'll be me." Now he was speaking her language.
"You've got it," Roxy agreed. She then sent him a much less enthusiastic look. "Though a please would be appreciated."
"I've never heard a customer say please," Chaz remarked. "But thanks. I owe you one."
Roxy didn't need to be bribed to take care of a guest, but she would keep that favor in the back of her mind.
In the end she had gotten what she wanted, the go-ahead to stick around longer. While Roxy liked to be punctual and could've easily managed twenty parties a day without breaking a sweat, this was a special situation. This girl needed more time and attention, though even with the allotted extra minutes she couldn't be sure she would.
She headed back into the party room to see Cassie holding the smallest gift between both pointer fingers and thumbs and studying it. She put it down quickly as Roxy came in, like she was caught in the act, much to the wolf's amusement.
"Do you want to open it? It's your birthday," Roxy offered.
"Sort of, but…" Cassie held up her hands, showing off her still damp nails. "It's not going to happen."
"I could help."
"You would? Yes, please!"
Roxy stood beside Cassie and opened the gift on the table in front of her so she would be able to see it as though she was the one doing so. She peeled back the paper as to reveal the gift in one flourish. It was a video game box, one with a blue turtle on it. Upon seeing it, Cassie's mouth all but dropped open with a gasp.
"Oh my gosh!" She snatched it up. "Oh my gosh!"
So, she was a gamer too. Roxy was impressed, chuckling a little to herself as Cassie continued to gush.
But then it unexpectedly stopped. Cassie trailed off, still staring down at the game laying on the table.
"What's up?" Roxy asked. She knelt by her chair again so she could see her face. Thankfully, it didn't look like she was going to start crying again, but something was wrong.
"It's nothing… It's just that… it… it IS from my Dad. I thought Uncle Chaz was lying, but it has to be. I told him I really wanted this, but I didn't get it for Christmas, so I thought he forgot… but he didn't."
It sounded like this should've been a happy occasion, but her voice was still steeped in melancholy. Roxy put a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, I'm not going to cry again," Cassie said. She sounded determined not to.
Roxy proceeded to slide another gift in front of her. "Want to go for another?"
"Yes, please."
So, Roxy helped Cassie open the rest of her gifts and they did not discuss her father again.
Halfway through the gifts the birthday cake was delivered to the room by a Staff Bot. While Roxy didn't appreciate the intrusion, she rolled with it, lit the candles with her pinkie, and carried the cake to Cassie to blow them back out.
By some cruel twist of fate, whichever of her parents ordered a birthday cake had gone out of their way to order a large sized sheet cake. Which made it even more apparent when there was only one person there to eat it. Even more cruel fate that Chica wasn't able to eat anymore because Roxy could've gotten her in and out with half of the cake in only a matter of minutes, making it much less apparent how much was there.
Roxy was going to regret it when she had to clean herself out later, but she went ahead and ate a piece of cake. Technically, Chica was the only animatronic built with the capability of eating- it was her gimmick- but Roxy could smell and taste, so it wasn't a horrendous experience. Just as long as she didn't think too hard about where the food was getting shoved into and what would happen if it wasn't cleaned properly.
That aside, good quality carrot cake.
Problem was, cake and gifts signaled that their time was running out. Even with the extra minutes, eventually someone would come in here and drag her out for her next required gig. Like a show dog being handed from trainer to trainer and show to show. Roxy knew she couldn't stay even though she wanted to, but she wanted to make sure Cassie was going to be okay. That she wouldn't be dropped into the Pizzaplex alone and with nothing to do.
So, she reached out for her bandmates.
"Guys, I've got a problem. I've got a birthday girl here whose friends were a no-show and I've only got a few more minutes left with her. Any of you know about another party who might take her in, or maybe one of you can watch her?"
It wasn't long before she received her first response.
"I could! Once I finish," Chica eagerly agreed.
"And I have some spare Fazer Blast passes! Perhaps she could join a game and meet other children," Freddy offered.
"That's a good idea, Freddy. Where can you leave them?"
"I am in Fazer Blast now, so I can deliver them to the front desk… Hmm…"
Roxy noticed the pensive hum. Specifically, because Freddy decided to broadcast it. "What?"
"Oh, nothing! I was just thinking. I will need a few minutes to get ready."
"Then send her on over here first!" Chica chirped.
"Or here. I'll give her a free golf pass," Monty added.
"I thought they stopped giving you passes."
"They did. Didn't stop me from getting 'em."
There was a pause.
"…She didn't hit her limit already, did she?" Monty asked. "Yo, Chic."
There was another pause.
"Yeah, that was her limit," Roxy agreed. "Okay, if you can all still here me, I'm going to send her to Chica, then…?"
"Send 'er on over here," Monty said.
"And by then I will be ready!" Freddy agreed.
…
"Freddy, I don't know about this…"
"I know, Gregory, but this is a very good thing you will be doing. And you will be having a lot of fun!" Freddy whispered through his Fazwatch. "Go on, Superstar. Go make a new friend!"
Gregory heard what sounded like a door opening and Freddy getting swarmed by kids before the message cut off. With a sigh, he dropped his arm to his side and started over towards the girl standing outside of Fazer Blast.
Gregory didn't really hang out with other kids unless he had to. Other kids were a liability, and nowhere was that more true than here in the Pizzaplex where getting too close to anybody outside the loop could get him caught. The only time he really interacted with them was if he was getting a high score and some other kids noticed or if he had to team up in Fazer Blast. He never actively sought them out.
He just hoped that she wasn't a snooty rich kid or something, especially if her parents were rich enough to get her a big party at the Mega Pizzaplex.
On the flipside, Cassie had been getting the special treatment even though her party was over.
Firstly, on her way out of the daycare she had been caught up to by a Nanny Bot who had offered her a Prize Box. There had been a little sun-shaped sticker on the top with 'From Sun and Moon' scribbled on it. Winding and popping open the box revealed two small Sun and Moon plushies smooshed together inside. She eagerly accepted them, told the Nanny Bot to thank Sun and Moon for her, and then continued off. It waved before leaving as well.
After dropping off her presents at her dad's locker, she followed Roxy's instructions to head to Chica's Cupcake Shoppe. There she met up with Chica who was waiting for her and let her pick out a free cupcake from the display. Chica was as perky as she was depicted to be on the posters, but weirdly enough she didn't say anything. It was like she couldn't speak. Odd, since her voice did come over the loudspeaker at one time.
After that, she headed to Monty's Gator Golf where Monty was waiting for her and proceeded to challenge her to a round of minigolf. Though by a 'round of minigolf', he didn't mean nine of the holes, or even all of them, but a random selection of whichever holes weren't currently being used by the groups heading through. Not that Cassie minded; she was just glad to be able to play.
Finally, she was sent to Fazer Blast. She walked up expecting Freddy to be waiting for her, but he wasn't. She supposed he could've been inside, but Monty had specifically told her that Freddy said to meet him outside by the snack bar. She guessed that maybe he got caught up with something and decided to wait. It seemed like the better idea with how packed it was.
She almost jumped when a voice suddenly popped up beside her. "Hey, uh… Are you waiting for someone or just scared to go in? 'Cause it's not as bad as it looks."
She looked towards him to see a boy who looked to be about her age, one with brown hair and eyes wearing a Freddy Fazbear themed T-shirt, Gregory. She was surprised to have another kid come up to her. All the other kids had been ignoring her up until now.
"What do you mean, as bad as it looks?" she asked.
"All the people. A lot of people go in at once because the teams are big, so you don't get stuck waiting that long."
"Oh! That makes sense. But I'm not nervous or anything, I'm just waiting for somebody," Cassie said. She looked around, but there was still no Freddy. "…But it doesn't look like he's coming."
"You can come with me. I've got two tickets," Gregory invited. He then pulled the tickets out of his shorts pocket.
"How did you get those?" Cassie asked in surprise.
"My Dad gave them to me. He works here."
"That's so cool!…Wait, did my uncle tell your dad to tell you to come hang out with me?" Cassie asked suspiciously.
"Yeah." Gregory smiled, Cassie looked a little less enthused. "But I'm not doing anything anyway," he continued with a shrug. "And I know this place like the back of my hand. I can show you all the cool stuff. Like the stuff that's against the rules but you can get away with."
Cassie wasn't exactly a rulebreaker by any means. If anything, she was a rather obedient kid, especially when it came to her dad and uncle's place of employment, but the way Gregory said it made her curious. He sounded confident enough to make her believe that he might get away with it. And with Freddy not showing up- come to think of it, maybe Freddy wasn't going to show up. Maybe it was a setup to hang out with another worker's kid- it was awful tempting.
"…Okay. I'm in," Cassie agreed. "I'm Cassie."
"I'm Gregory," he introduced.
Then side-by-side the two headed into Fazer Blast together. Maybe, they both thought, this wouldn't be so bad.
"So, what's your dad do?"
"He's, uh- a technician."
"Oh, cool! So's mine."