"Rain's not gonna let up anytime soon. Better leave early."
Even though most people were off the streets by then, Vanessa didn't want to risk being late to work. She hated the thought of letting them go to the raceway alone, but she wouldn't be any help to them. Part of her hoped they would call it off. They wouldn't find anything good down there. Maybe she should've stopped them, but telling them why she didn't want them going there couldn't turn out well. Whether they believed her or not, they wouldn't trust her anymore.
Around 4:30, Vanessa realized that most of the extra S.T.A.F.F. bots had disappeared. She frantically searched the cameras until she found a handful of them heading towards…
"No…" she whispered to herself. She tried to check the raceway cameras, but they were down. "This is fine, they're fine, everything's fine. They probably found… whatever they were looking for, and things are back to normal. The cameras went down the first time, it makes sense that they're down now."
Although this explanation wasn't completely convincing, nothing was getting her out of that security office. When the cameras were up again, Sun and Moon were nowhere to be seen. The S.T.A.F.F. bots were gone, too. Whatever had called them there was gone now. Vanessa spent the rest of the night sitting there, flipping through the cameras and locking the doors every time she heard a noise.
The second the clock struck six, she rushed back to her car as fast as she could. She was out, she was safe, at least for now. When Gregory woke up, she told him that Sun and Moon were back at the daycare. She hadn't checked the daycare cameras before she left, but it might be true. He seemed to buy it. She promised herself that she would check on them tonight, but she needed the day to calm down.
Around 8:30pm, there was a knock at the door. Gregory hopped off the couch to answer it.
"NO! That's alright, Greg. I'll get it."
Vanessa checked the peephole and saw a redhead wearing a Fazbear security uniform. She considered pretending no one was home, but she had been loud enough that it probably wasn't an option. She took a deep breath, smiled, and opened the door.
"Hey, Vanessa! I'm Ginger. We've never officially met, but I've only heard good things about you! Is Gabe here? I just wanted to make sure everything was ok, but he never gave me his number, and Sam wasn't at the check-in desk when I left, so I got your address from your file."
Ginger? Why was the daycare guard here? How much did she know? And why did she think it was ok to show up to a stranger's home uninvited?
"Okaaay… my phone number is also on there, maybe try calling first next time?"
"I did. Six times. It always went straight to voicemail."
"Oh, yeah, sorry, my phone must've been off. Anyway, Gabe's sick-"
"Oh no! I guess that explains why he didn't show up for work today. Can I talk to him?"
"He's sleeping right now, but I'll tell him you came by." She started to close the door, but Ginger wedged her foot in the doorway.
"I'm sorry, let me make myself clear. If he's here, I am going to talk to him. If he's not here, you are going to tell me where he is."
"I already told you, he's slee- hey!" Vanessa tried to close the door again, but Ginger overpowered her and stepped into the living room.
"Yeah, I don't buy it. If he had called in sick, they would've found a replacement or closed the daycare or something."
"That's Fazbear for you."
"Ha, ha. I did not spend my day single-handedly wrangling two dozen snack-deprived kids to listen to your sarcasm. Something is going on here, and I'm not leaving until I find out what."
"Wait, you were alone?" asked Gregory, putting down his chips.
"Yes! Because Gabe never showed up! Gregory, right?"
"Yeah. I thought there was an animatronic that helped with the kids."
"It went missing over a month ago. That's the whole reason Gabe was hired! Do you know where he is?"
"No. She won't tell me, either."
"Gregory!" Vanessa couldn't believe that he of all people would betray her.
"What? You said they were at work, and they're not. Our friends could be in trouble, and you're the only one who saw what happened last night."
"What happed last night?" Ginger asked.
"Nothing happened last night! Everything is fine!"
Vanessa's phone rang.
"Well, are you gonna answer it?"
She slowly picked it up off the kitchen table. It was Chloe.
"Heeeeyyy, Chloe. This is Vanessa, what's up?"
"Oh, hi Vanessa! Sammy's told me so much about you! Thank you so much for everything you've done for him!"
"Don't mention it."
"Anyway, I just called because I wanted to discuss our plans for next week. Is he available?"
"No, Sam's… busy right now."
"No he's not!" Ginger yelled.
"Who's that?"
"No one, don't worry- hey!" Ginger snatched the phone out of her hand and put it on speakerphone.
"I'm Ginger, the security guard for the daycare. Sam and Gabe have been missing all day!"
"Missing?" Chloe gasped. "Have you gone to the police?"
"Not yet-" Vanessa started.
"And she never will."
"…What do you mean never? What's going on?"
"I don't know. Why don't you tell us, Vanessa?"
"I… um…" One eyewitness, one over the phone. Ginger knew her address, and she couldn't drag Gregory back to the streets. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She sighed in defeat. She couldn't get out of this one. At least Sun and Moon seemed to trust these girls. Hopefully, they were right. "I don't know all the details, but it's a long story."
"I've got all night." Ginger crossed her arms.
"Good for you. Can I have my phone back?" Vanessa held out her hand. Ginger hesitantly handed the phone back. "Thank you. Chloe, are you still listening?"
"I'm here."
"Both of you, if you want answers, meet me behind the Pizzaplex tonight at 11:30 sharp. I'll explain as much as I can, and I'll give you a chance to help. Wear comfortable clothes with closed-toed shoes, and bring a flashlight. If you are late, or if you decide to tell anyone about this, you're out, no exceptions. Got it?"
"Uh… sure?"
"Good. I'll see you tonight." She hung up. "Are you satisfied, Ginger?"
"Are you kidding? You didn't tell me anything!"
"And Gabe didn't tell us he had a thicc shawty," said Gregory before shoveling another handful of chips into his mouth. Vanessa almost scolded him for the crude description, but it was accurate. Ginger, despite her earlier boldness, became flustered at the comment.
"Oh no, we're not… I didn't think we were. Did he tell you we were together?"
"I literally just said he didn't."
"Of course. That makes sense, because we're not. …You won't tell him about this, will you?"
"Your secret is safe with us, as long as ours is safe with you," Vanessa assured her. "Now, please get out of my apartment."
"Oh, o-of course. Sorry." Ginger started to leave, but stopped in the doorway. "Is he… I mean, are they…"
"I don't know. Eleven-thirty."
"I'll be there." When Ginger left, Vanessa shut her eyes and leaned her forehead against the door.
"The heck was that?" asked Gregory.
"I'll explain tonight."
"Why do I have to wait?"
"Because I don't want to explain it twice. Finish your homework if you can, then take a nap. You'll need your strength."
"You're letting me come?"
"Could I stop you?"
"No."
Time passed much faster than Vanessa liked. She and Gregory got to the Pizzaplex early and waited for the others in an empty section of the lot.
"You think they'll show?" he asked without looking up.
"For their sakes, I hope not."
"Then why did you invite them?"
"If I'm even close to right about what happened last night, then we're going to need help."
"I would be a lot more helpful if I knew what I was doing."
"You will if you can wait five seconds."
Gregory could only wait for five literal seconds before speaking again.
"Why did you lie to me?"
His words were like a butcher's knife going straight through her heart. They had always kept some secrets from each other. They had come to a mutual agreement not to talk about each other's pasts until they were ready. She knew that he was an orphan who had snuck into the Pizzaplex one night, he knew that she was a security guard who had been mind-controlled to kidnap children, and it was a miracle they told each other that much. She still didn't know his last name.
Those things hadn't mattered as much, because there was nothing they could do about the people they had lost, the homes they could never go back to, if they were even still there. This time, they could at least try to fix things. But she lied to him anyway.
"Greg, I…"
"You what? If they're really in trouble like you said, then why didn't you tell me what really happened? For all we know, they could be dead by now! I thought I could trust you."
"I was trying to protect you."
"That's what you always say."
"Because it's always true! I've made some huge mistakes, and I have to deal with the consequences every day. That's why I get worked up over the small things, because I don't want those small things to grow into huge, ugly things that you'll regret for the rest of your life."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, fighting back broken memories of other children, the ones she wasn't strong enough to save.
"You're an amazing kid, Gregory, and I couldn't live with myself if I let you turn out like me. I'm sorry that I let you down. I promise I'll be more honest with you in the future. Can you please trust me, just for tonight?"
Gregory thought about this for a moment. "Ok. But they better not be dead."
Vanessa sighed. That was good enough.
Ginger showed up a minute later, parking right next to them. At exactly 11:30, she got out of her car.
"Here we go. This is really happening. We're going down there. I'm going down there. I'm going back down there. I can't go back down there. I can't go back down there I can't go back down there I can't go back downthereIcan'tgobackdownthereIcan'tgobackIcan'tgobackIcantgoback-"
Gregory held her shaking hand. "You ready, Nessa?"
She took a deep breath and gave him a half-smile.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
She and Gregory joined Ginger near a lamppost.
"Glad you could make it."
"Are you kidding me? Gabe and Sam are my friends. I'm not going to rest until I find out what happened!"
"It seems like Chloe doesn't feel the same way."
Vanessa was immediately proven wrong when another car swerved into the lot, taking up two parking spaces. A distraught blonde exited the driver's seat and ran towards them.
"I'M HERE I'M HERE I'M SORRY I'M LATE PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT ME!"
The girl tripped, but caught herself on the lamppost.
"Chloe?" Vanessa guessed.
"Yeah, that's me! Sorry, this is my first sketchy parking lot meetup."
"Ohmegosh same!" Ginger beamed.
"Ok, so Vanessa and Gregory?" She pointed at each of them. They nodded. "It's so nice to finally meet you! And you're Ginger."
"Yep! Nice to see you again! I guess that date went pretty well, huh?"
"Oh gosh, I don't know about that. I acted like an idiot the entire time, but he's coming over for brunch next week, so… actually yeah. It was great!"
"Fantastic," said Vanessa. "Now that everyone knows everyone, let's go over the basics. This is going to be dangerous. We are going to a place which has no cell service, no emergency exits, and little to no chance of your body being found. If we're incredibly lucky, we'll be in and out of there in half an hour. If not, you may die, or wish you were dead. Basically, if you have problems with dark, enclosed spaces, sudden drops, or possible physical or psychological torture, please exit to the left."
"And this is inside the Pizzaplex?" asked Ginger. "What are we doing, exactly?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Ginger crossed her arms. "You told us we would get answers here."
"I know, but-"
"Hey Vanessa," said Gregory, "remember what you just said about being more honest?"
She sighed. "As you may know, Freddy's has had an… interesting history, to say the least. The last version of the restaurant was only open for a week, and its only location was right here."
"I didn't know that," said Chloe.
"Right. Well, it's actually still here, buried under the Pizzaplex."
"WHAT?!" Ginger yelled. "We're going to visit the remains of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place?! I didn't know they were into urban exploration! That's why you didn't want to call the police! This is going to be awesome!"
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. If they're still alive, we'll find them down there."
"Why would they want to explore some dumb old pizzeria?" asked Gregory.
"They didn't. Someone else brought them there."
"Who?"
"I don't know for sure, but if it is who I think it might be, then he's dangerous. That's why I invited you here. When we go down there, remember that we are not alone. One wrong step could get us all killed, or worse. Again, if you can't handle that, then please leave."
Surprisingly, neither of them left.
"Ok, here's what's going to happen: I'm going to go in there and start my shift. Once all the other employees have left, I'll text Chloe, and you three will head in through the fire escape. Gregory will lead the way down while I grab some more helpers. We meet at Roxy Raceway, near the first go-kart garage."
"Why Roxy Raceway?" asked Chloe.
"That's where the entrance is. See you then."
Vanessa made her way to the nearest security office and signed in. Most employees were already gone, with only a few maintenance workers wandering around. As the last one left the building, she sent the text.
-Coast is clear
She had sent the exact same message a dozen times, but this time was different. What usually called Gregory to a playdate on steroids now called him to his doom.
"No, it won't," she told herself. "He won't be like the others. None of them will. This is going to work."
She rounded up the Glamrocks and brought them to the rendezvous point. Using Monty's claws and Chica's voice box was the fastest and easiest way to open the gates. Freddy and Roxy's services weren't needed, but they tagged along anyway. Gregory was the first to meet them at the raceway. He was wearing his watch and holding Moon's jacket, more proof that they hadn't left the raceway willingly.
"Vanessa, look! It's Gabe's hoodie! It was folded up over there. And I found my Fazwatch over by that weird door. That must've been where they were taken!"
Gregory's attention shifted to the four animatronics following close behind her. He practically threw the jacket at her, and she stuffed it into her duffel bag.
"Freddy!" he yelled, running towards his friend. Freddy knelt down and gave him a big bear hug.
"Hello, Superstar! It has been a while."
"We missed ya, kid," said Roxy.
"Wait a sec, you know the Glamrocks?" asked Ginger. "Like, personally?"
"Oh, yes!" Chica answered. "Gregory is one of our best friends! But don't tell anyone, it's supposed to be a secret."
"Not anymore it ain't," Monty huffed, glaring at her.
"This is very touching, but why are they here?" asked Chloe.
"To say hi to Gregory, mostly, but they're also going to help us. Come on."
They all made their way down the stairs and navigated past the rubble below to a gate. It was chained closed, and there was a sign attached to it with Monty's silhouette crossed out. Monty clawed at the chain, breaking it with one swipe.
The second gate had a sound-activated lock that was somehow perfectly tuned to Chica's experimental voice box.
"You might want to cover your ears for a moment," Chica warned.
After everyone had done so, she screeched at the lock, causing the gate to open. There was an old elevator cut into the rock just beyond it.
"Thanks, guys. Now, your next job is very important. I need you to stand guard outside of Roxy Raceway. Don't let anyone or anything come in here before we come out. If someone tries to contact you while we're down there, it's not us. Do not answer, and do not come in. Understood?"
They all nodded in agreement, said their goodbyes, and left. Now, it was just the four of them. Vanessa called the elevator.
"Alright, everybody take one of these." She opened her duffel bag to reveal that it was full of Fazerblasters and Faz-Cams.
"What are these for?" Chloe asked.
"Weapons," said Gregory. "They stun animatronics. The cameras have a wider range, and stun them for longer, but the flash takes forever to reload. The blasters have higher accuracy, and you get multiple shots, but they don't last as long."
"You sure know a lot about fighting animatronics."
"Yee."
"You just told the Glamrocks to stay up here, and any animatronics left in the ruins wouldn't be functional. Why do we need these?" Ginger asked.
"Just in case. I don't know exactly what we're going to find down there, but it ain't gonna be pretty. This is the point of no re-"
"We get it!" Ginger exclaimed. "It's scary, and dangerous, and we might die, but we wouldn't have come this far if we weren't serious. Right, Chloe?"
"R-right." Chloe's hands were shaking, but she put on a brave face.
Vanessa and Ginger grabbed Fazerblasters, Chloe grabbed a Faz-Cam, and Gregory grabbed one of each. Then the elevator doors opened.
"Alright!" Gregory yelled, brandishing his Fazerblaster in one hand and Faz-Cam in the other. "Let's go kick some Fazbutt!"
No one said anything during the ride down. Vanessa's stomach had already dropped below the shaft. Chloe was the only one who shared her worry, fidgeting and humming to herself, but Gregory and Ginger seemed excited. She definitely hadn't explained well enough, but nothing could truly prepare them for what might happen down here, assuming they believed her. Besides, she really didn't know herself.
When they reached the bottom, everyone stood at the ready, flashlights and weapons in hand. The doors opened to reveal a horde of damaged, but still very functional S.T.A.F.F. bots waiting for them. She should have known it would be a trap! Chloe screamed, shoving her body against the back wall. Without flinching, Gregory flashed the bots with his Faz-Cam. It stunned a handful in the front, but most were unfazed. Vanessa pushed the close door button, but the remaining bots held it open. Gregory and Ginger used their Fazerblasters to pick off as many as they could.
"I'm all out of ammo!" Ginger yelled. Limited shots were great for balanced gameplay, but not so much for self-defense.
S.T.A.F.F. bots in front of them, metal walls everywhere else. There was nothing they could do.
Vanessa emptied her digital magazine, then reached for her taser. One of the bots knocked it out of her hand, and another rolled over it, crushing it beyond repair. In desperation, she slammed her blaster into the head of the nearest S.T.A.F.F. bot. It did nothing, and she was soon overpowered. She heard the others' cries as they were caught. She wanted to call out to them, but the bots had knocked the wind out of her. All she could do was whisper a faint "…Greg…" before she blacked out.