The walk to Parts and Service took a surprisingly short amount of time. When they got there, Chica and Monty met them from the direction of the stage lift.

Gregory waved but dare not run to them. Instead, he led them through the double red doors. He hesitated just inside. "After this, it'll turn to five-fifty am. What if Moon comes after me?"

Chica shook her head. "Moon's our friend now, remember?"

Gregory pointed out, "But the cylinder didn't work. Maybe it could be like that thing with Monty. Like when I ran from you." He looked at the alligator animatronic, who made a quiet, sad growling noise. "Like when the lights turn out and he's supposed to find me, that could be like when I'm running from Monty. It'll just set him off again. Or maybe it won't. Maybe he won't attack me. But if he does, I'll need to go to the front doors. I don't want to abandon you guys. Especially not now that I can help."

Roxy asked, "Why not go to the doors, wait for six am, and then come back? I mean, it's also five-fifteen. Will it really take that long?"

Gregory nodded. "It will, trust me. But…" He narrowed his eyes. "You know, you have a point. Why don't I just stay longer?"

Chica pointed out, "After six am, the morning shift comes back."

Gregory showed her the Dance Pass. "This will set the time to five thirty. Maybe if we're lucky, it'll prevent the morning shift from arriving."

Chica glanced at Monty, who returned the look. Roxy tipped her head. "What does that mean? Are you talking about turning back time? With a ticket?"

Gregory nodded. "It's kind of complicated, but if I use this ticket to get into the arcade and take the security badge, the time here will go back to five thirty. Though, that's if time doesn't move forward after six am."

"Maybe time will move forward after you walk through those doors."

Gregory glanced down at Bonnie. "Good point. Bonnie said time might only move forward after I walk through the doors. That's when I went back. Maybe if we take down Vanny, I can walk through those doors and not go back in time."

Chica cooed. "Oh, I hope so. You've been through so much, already."

Gregory grimaced. "Oh, and… about the arcade… the last time I was there, I met Vanny. And Freddy. All the lights turned out and Freddy appeared. He tried to attack me, but you stopped him and fought him instead." He looked at Monty and then back around at the others. "So, that might happen again. Hopefully not. So, we'll need to be careful. Maybe I can hide from him since I know what he sounds like."

Roxy's ears flicked forward. "Freddy was there?"

Monty shook his head. "Ain't no way we're going there if Freddy's there, kid."

Chica bowed her head. "We shouldn't go if he's there. He'll do something he'll regret."

Gregory bit back a sigh. I shouldn't have told them that.

"No, they would've been super mad at you if he was there, and they found out you knew he'd be there."

He pointed out, "I still need the security badge. We could just sneak by him."

Monty snorted. "If he found out I was carryin' you, he'd try an' fight me and I couldn't fight him while carryin' you. You could get real hurt!"

"Then I'll hide in the arcade cabinets," Gregory reasoned. "But there are only so many security badges around the Pizzaplex, and there's something important in the West Arcade. It was highlighted in the power control room. Remember that?" He looked back at Chica.

She nodded. "Yes, that's true. Vanny marked it as important."

Roxy huffed, "That could just mean she laid a trap there and found a way to get herself and Freddy there fast."

Then, an idea came to Gregory. "Oh, how about this: I need a lot of security clearance on my own. However, Moon and Freddy are two of Vanny's biggest… uh… what would you call them? Minions, I guess? They don't want to work for her. Anyway, doesn't matter. If it turns dark and Moon appears but he's friendly, that means he's not her minion anymore and he can help us get to her. She'll only have Freddy on her side. She might even get scared and try to run off. We can take her down! But if Moon isn't friendly, then we know he's still under her control. We'll need that other security pass. Chica, you're the kindest person I know. Maybe, if Freddy gets there, and I hide so he can't see me, you can talk Freddy down and maybe even convince him to come here!"

Chica's eyes widened. "You really think so? Do you think he'd do that? We could help him?"

Monty set his hand on Chica's shoulder. "Chickadee, let's not get hasty here." He looked down at Gregory. "I get what yer thinkin' Little guy. What yer tryin' to do. An' it's real nice. But it ain't possible and it ain't worth the risk to try. He's dangerous. If he doesn't hurt you, he could hurt Chica."

Gregory looked back at Roxy. "What do you think?"

Roxy crossed her arms and tapped her emerald claws on her forearm. She pinned her ears and, with a short hiss, said, "You're both right. Freddy's dangerous. It's a big risk. Chica's the nicest gal we know. If anyone could talk to that stupid bear, it's her."

Monty retorted, "If she could, she'd have done it earlier! When a kid wasn't in danger!"

Gregory pointed out, "Maybe she just didn't have the opportunity. Right, Chica?"

Chica shut her eyes. "I'm a horrible friend. I didn't even try. When he started acting weirdly, I talked to him, but when he started leaving, I got scared and I-I didn't even try to look for him."

Monty nodded once. "You're not a terrible friend fer bein' scared, Chickadee. He's dangerous. He could hurt you. That's the right call."

Roxy scoffed. "Something's been messing us all up." Her ears flicked forward. "That's what you mean. The rabbit's been messing with us for that long."

Gregory shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, it would make sense."

Roxy sighed. "You know what? Chica's right. We should help Freddy. With or without Moon." With that, she turned and walked to the cylinder, head held high.

Gregory speed-walked to catch up with her and set Bonnie down on the computer terminal. Once she was inside and laying down, the computer prompted, "Welcome to Parts and Service. Please select your desired procedure." A list of upgrades showed. Gregory pressed the down arrow and it flipped to the next screen. "Select Repair" replaced the upgrade heading. "Hardware Scan", "Physical Scan", "Routine Check-Up", and "Custom-Repair" were listed below it.

He decided to do a hardware scan, first–like he'd done with Chica. Nothing was wrong with her outside body.

The computer announced, "It seems that Roxy is under the weather. It seems Roxy's basic security protocols have been tampered with. A report to the main office has been filed. For liability reasons, Roxy will now be disconnected from the main network until further notice. Activating safety protocols. Rebooting in Safe Mode."

Gregory picked up Bonnie and looked up at the cylinder door as it opened.

Roxy stepped out. She ran her fingers through her mane, tucking a few strands of plastic hair behind her ear. Roxy sniffed and twitched her ear and looked around and then at her friends and Gregory. "…you look different. Everything looks different. Everything feels different. I feel different."

Gregory smiled. "Better?"

She nodded. "Better, yeah." Then, she looked at Chica. Her ears pinned and she bowed her head. "Chica, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for what I said." She stepped forward and took Chica's hands, pulling them up between them. "You're the best friend anyone could ask for."

Chica cooed. "Aw! Thank you, Roxy! I-I know you weren't feeling well. I don't blame you. Thank you for apologizing. That was really sweet."

Roxy snorted. "Why can't you be mad at me? I was so mean to you!" Her words came out more as a whine than a growl.

Chica laughed. "I can't be mad at you, Roxy-poo! You're my best friend!"

The time was five-fifty am.

Gregory sucked in his breath and looked around their now dark surroundings as the lights shut off. He swiped Bonnie, pulled out his flashlight and clicked it on.

Roxy's head whipped around as she searched her surroundings before suddenly stopping, her muzzle pointed up and toward where the wall met the ceiling above the red double doors. Her ears perked. Right, she could see bots through the walls, couldn't she? Monty, Chica, and Gregory followed her gaze.

A conveyor belt heavy with boxes connected that part of the wall to the wall on the other side, weaving around shelving units way up high. The rubber flaps in the wall above the conveyor shifted, allowing a gangly, dark and light body through. In the shadows, it was hard to see anything but obscure, broken shards of light shell, including a half-moon face and stars. Two red pinpricks of light glowed in the shadows, turning the once white moon pink.

Gregory forced himself to stay in place. Maybe he's like Monty and he'll attack if I run.

"Maybe."

Chica called, "Hello, Moon!"

Moon stayed perched on the conveyor belt. "…I told you not to mess with time. You are a–" He twitched and growled to himself before continuing, "–naughty boy."

Roxy growled and pinned her ears. Beep!

Gregory tapped his glasses. [Go. Want me to come with?]

Gregory nodded and ran up the stairs. "Chica, we need to go!"

Chica whined but followed. Roxy ran after him. Monty crouched, claws at his side and watching Moon. "Stay righ' there or I'll tear ya to shreds!"

Moon launched himself over the alligator and onto the stairs. Monty roared and threw himself across the room. At this point, Gregory had already run into Roxy's hallway and now the door shut behind the wolf, who looked back, ears perked.

The time was five-fifty-one am.

Gregory got on the elevator with Chica, Roxy promising to follow.

Chica soothed, "Roxy's the fastest animatronic in the Pizzaplex. She could probably get to the door of her own room before us!"

Gregory shuffled his feet and played with Bonnie's ears. The tiny elevator stopped and opened. He darted out and hesitated for only a second for Chica to leave the elevator. Roxy caught up in Rockstar Row. Gregory looked back at her and then at Moon, either following her gaze or catching sight of him on his own.

Then, as they got into the black atrium in front of gator golf, Roxy hissed in frustration.

"What is it?" Gregory panted.

"I don't see it," she growled, ears pinned and glowing yellow eyes narrowed. "And the dumb thing knows it."

"But how?" Gregory turned his gaze upward. "What's the difference now?"

"He's not behind a wall, and he turned his eye lights off," she growled and then snapped her jaws so hard her teeth clacked together. "That's how he gets around my eyes normally! Cocky, smarty-pants jester. I'm better than it. I'll figure out how to find it first."

The time was five-fifty-three am.

Chica piped up, "There's no need to get mean, Roxy. Moon doesn't mean any harm. I thought you didn't like your upgrade since it made you see weird things and made you really sensitive to flashing lights."

Roxy growled, "That doesn't mean it's not useful."

He got to the stairs behind Chica. Roxy followed parallel, lagging behind as she couldn't find her footing as well as the boy with smaller feet for whom the stairs were made.

Something hard touched his sides just below his arms. Gregory screamed and ducked down, throwing himself wildly off balance as Chica stayed completely unaffected by him. Chica turned her head completely back and stopped. "Gregory?"

Roxy looked up. "Moon!"

The blue Daycare Attendant, attached to a cord on the ceiling, landed on the rubber stair railing and struck downward. He snagged Gregory and leaped backward. Gregory yelped as, with Chica's grip much stronger than Gregory's, the motion nearly tore his arm out of its socket.

Chica turned completely around. Beep! [Cover your ears!]

Gregory let go of Chica and Bonnie and immediately covered both of his ears. Momentum swung them backwards as Moon, confused, watched the interaction. Then, his once loose body went rigid and leaned back into the cord, away from Chica. Roxy ducked and covered her ears, wincing in anticipation. Chica's shriek still dug into his skull, but his palms created a good enough barrier to minimize the pain to a dull ache followed by intense dizziness. His glasses glitched and flashlight flickered. Moon squealed and dropped Gregory, twitching and curling into himself like a dying spider. Gregory's left foot hit the ground, and then his right, and momentum and the slick floor kept him going.

All the air left Gregory in a hard wheeze and stars burst in his vision. He gasped and shivered, scrambling to grasp any coherent thought.

The time was five-fifty-four am.

A pale shape contrasted the neon marred darkness, and something touched his arm. Gregory flinched and blinked rapidly. He groaned and tried to pull himself up. However, he found the ground had vanished from under him, again. This time, the arms he lay on were wider and brighter and more consistent in color.

"Bonnie…" he groaned out.

Light flared behind them before going out.

Chica reassured him, "Bonnie is safe. You're safe with me, Gregory."

"Me?! You're worrying about me?! You-you're probably super hurt!"

She got to level ground and approached the elevators. Roxy ran past, Gregory's flashlight and Bonnie in her hands. She recalled the elevator and let them on first. Roxy glared out into the atrium and growled, ears flat and tail up and whipping back and forth. She climbed in after them.

Gregory so wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep, but he couldn't. They were near the end. They would get to the doors, and then they would get Freddy, fight Vanny, and end everything. Then Gregory would be free to leave and never return. A heavy feeling settled inside of him at the thought. He shook it off. He wouldn't risk staying here, not if that meant something else going wrong and him getting stuck in Groundhog's Day for the rest of forever.

The time was five fifty-five am.

The elevator doors opened. Gregory looked around the entrance area as they walked down the stairs, quick but careful not to fall down. However, he didn't see Moon at all.

They went around the turnstiles and made it to the doors.

Monty clunked down the stairs.

Chica gently set Gregory down.

The time was six am.

Gregory stretched and winced. "Ow. I'm okay." He looked at the doors. The black of night still dominated the sky, stars spattering the vast expanse. Far into the horizon, the faintest sliver of paler blue edged the dark. Streetlamps glowed over the parking lot, overpowering the faint moonlight. He touched his fingertips to the glass and found it chilly, nearly ice cold.

He turned back to Chica and Roxy. Roxy searched the area behind them for a few moments longer before turning back to them, head up and ears and tail relaxed.

Chica clucked and ran her fingers over his forehead and arm and held his hand. "Oh, look at you! You're going to be all bruised and banged up!"

Gregory shrugged, biting back another wince. "I've been through worse."

"Worse?!" she squawked and then huffed, "Why? Who made you go through worse? I'll have a few words with them!"

Gregory chuckled. "Thanks but, uh… that was me."

Monty asked as he stopped by them, "What was him?"

Roxy shrugged. "I'd believe it. The little scamp has a wild streak. By the way, here you go, Kid." Roxy held out her hand.

Gregory turned around, gasped, and gently took Bonnie and the flashlight. "Thanks, Roxy!" It was much easier to ignore the trivial pains with Bonnie.

Chica explained, "Moon grabbed Gregory. I… decided to use my voice box to force it to let him go. Gregory fell from a little under a story to the ground. Thankfully, he didn't land on his head. He landed on his feet, but he tripped and fell backwards. He has some minor injuries that will need pediatric care."

Pediatric care…? Oh, right, kid doctor. "I don't need to go to the doctor," Gregory argued. "You already looked me over! I'm fine!"

Chica turned on him. "Nuh-uh. Gregory, you need to see a professional. Those cuts and scrapes could also get looked at as well."

Monty chuckled. He opened his mouth but froze upon seeing the look Roxy was giving him. Monty slowly closed his mouth.

"She's kinda right, but I'm sure we can deal with it on our own. Just change the topic. Freddy."

Right. Gregory shook his head. "Whatever. We have other stuff to worry about. Like Freddy! I think we should go to the arcade, now, and see if this ticket works."

Chica asked, "What if it doesn't? Gregory, if you're caught here by staff, we won't have any choice but to let you go. We have to do what a staff member says."

Roxy snorted and twitched her ear. "Even if whatever they say is stupid."

Gregory shrugged and smiled. "Guess we just won't get caught, then!"

Weirdly, the lights were on. They made the elevator ride and three-level trek to the West Arcade.

Gregory waved his flashlight around the wall and floor and the potted plants and closed pop-up shops. He looked up at the sign marking the arcade and then the ticket bot. He looked around, but aside from another security bot, there were no signs of "life". "Monty? Where are you?"

Beep! [Inside! Nothing's here, yet. You got the all clear.]

Gregory chuckled. "Thanks!" He looked back at the chicken and wolf animatronic as he gave the Dance Pass to the ticket bot. "Monty's inside. He says he's making sure everything's clear."

Chica oohed. "Oh, how smart of him!"

Roxy sniffed and looked at her nails. "Yeah. Sounds like him."

The ticket bot, as it finished its little dance, rolled away.

The time was five-thirty am.

Gregory walked past it to the elevator and called it. She didn't sound thrilled.

"Maybe she thought he was going to pick a fight."

Well, if Freddy had been there, he probably would have.

The elevator opened for them. Roxy asked, "Chica? Can I go first? So I can see anything before the doors open."

Chica blinked. "Oh. Yeah, okay! I'll be right here!"

Roxy waved her tail once. "Thanks, Chica! Elevator will be back in no time." With that, she forged ahead into the elevator.

Gregory walked behind her, admittedly confused and a little suspicious.

"She won't hurt you. I wonder what she's thinking about."

The doors closed. The elevator jolted and started with a whirr.

Roxy looked down at him at the corner of her eye. "You know why he's doing this, right? Even though he thinks it's a bad idea?"

Gregory nodded. "He wants to make sure I'm safe."

"He could have done that waiting for us outside. We could go in together and if there was anything dangerous, he'd pick you up–or make me pick you up because I'm faster–and run off. But instead, he went straight into danger to make sure it wasn't actually dangerous."

Gregory nodded. "Yeah, that does sound like something he would do. He always does that, though. He's brave and strong. He could take on anything." His voice wavered.

Roxy's ear fell back like it had in Roxy Raceway when she confronted Chica and accused her of going against her. However, one ear was still relaxed, and her eyes were half-lidded and her tail brushed her thighs. The intercom said something, but they both ignored it.

"You know, don't you?" Gregory asked. "Because you're his friend? That people think he's dumb and scary even though he's not?"

"Yes," Roxy stated. "I'm not stupid. I hear what people say, especially since we're both new attractions. Replacements. He has to act brave because if he's not, he's just Bonnie's dumb, scary replacement. The staff think he destroyed Bonnie, you know. That he was ambitious or jealous, so he killed Bonnie because he knew he could take Bonnie's place."

"That's awful! We weren't best friends, but we got along and he'd never–I'd never–Monty was–I don't remember, b-but Monty wouldn't–"

"You don't think that, do you?" Her words took a cooler tone but stayed level.

Gregory shook his head. "Monty's my friend. He's great and he's brave and he's smart and nice. He helped me, even when he didn't need to or when it was scary or I didn't deserve it. The staff are stupid and wrong. And besides, Bonnie says Monty would never attack him. I believe Bonnie more than some stupid staff who would give Monty claws and then punish him for being scary because of them."

Roxy laughed. "Yeesh. You're one smart kid." She rolled her eyes. "I've always wondered if adults are given a good knock on the head after growing up. I'll need to ask Sun. He's gotta have experience with adults."

Gregory glanced at the elevator button. "What do people say about you?"

"Me?" Roxy echoed.

Gregory nodded. "You said both you and Monty were 'replacements'."

He could recall Roxy's words as she prowled the arcade. "I bet you don't even have friends, do you?"

"Do they think you don't have friends or something?"

She scoffed. "What? No." She flicked her tail. Her ears flattened and she looked away. "No, I'm great. I'm perfect. Everyone loves me. They want to be me. Of course I have friends."

"Chica and Monty are great friends," Gregory agreed. "So is Bonnie. He's my best friend. You must have known him."

"I did. We were better friends than Monty and I. But she and Monty always had something I wouldn't. Guess it was like Freddy, Chica, Foxy, and I. They were made almost together. She was made first. But they had more in common."

"Did you know Foxy?" Gregory bit his cheek.

Roxy snorted and shook her head as if he'd just splashed her with water. "No! I didn't! I was made after him. I never met Foxy the Pirate Fox." She spat his name like an insult. "I'm not even a fox. I'm a wolf. A girl. A racer. I'm not going to be him."

"I–"

The elevator doors opened.

Roxy stalked out with a huff.

Gregory sighed and walked after her.

"Don't worry; she'll cool off after a little while. She never stays mad for long."

The boy pressed the elevator button to shut the door. After a moment or so, the down arrow glowed.

Gregory looked ahead. A giant golden statue of the band perched atop a platform. Neon lights and arcade screens threw multicolored light across the floor, walls, and arcade cabinets. Still, the darkness was harsh, and Gregory absolutely needed his flashlight here, especially on the shiny, dark dance floor. Monty's eye lights helped.

Gregory stepped out onto a futuristic hallway. To his left was an arcade. To his right was a dancefloor. A giant robot lay on the stage. His squarish head the size of a minivan lay on two of his hands, his black circle eyes staring into nothingness as he "slept." A massive set of headphones sat on his head and its huge row of teeth modeled after a keyboard.

He started to walk further into the arcade, but only got to the golden statue before a huge green-and-purple shape flew down from the upper story and landed before him. Gregory jumped back and heaved out a sigh. "Monty! You scared me!"

The alligator animatronic stood up. "Oh, whoops. Sorry about that! Uh, well, nothin' here! Security card's probably in the office up there." Monty pointed up at the wall on the far end of the upper floor. "I just saw Roxy walk through in a puff. What happened? An' where's Chica?"

"Chica's coming on the next elevator ride," Gregory explained. "And… I may have accidentally offended Roxy asking if she knew Foxy."

Monty nodded with an "ooh" of understanding. "You probably guessed it by now, but it ain't a good idea to talk to her about the old fox. But, uh… you wanna go get that security card? I'll stay down here and tell Chica where ya went."

Gregory nodded and gave him the thumbs up. "Okay!"

He walked to a set of spiral stairs up to a landing with arcade cabinets and then another set of stairs leading to more arcade cabinets that made a winding pathway. Behind him was a round platform with dining tables and chairs sectioned off with faux walls. He passed all the arcade cabinets and a few rooms dominated by a single color with a mic near the end. Once he got to the last door past some games with chairs and a door that was out of order, he escaped the lights and colors and emerged into a poorly lit brick-walled hall. A metal security door cut into the bricks on the left with a long, small window beside it looking into the hallway.

The security room. Gregory had been here, once. He pushed through the door and made the tally twice. A large repair machine with a slot in the front metal part took up the center of said room. A box of S.T.A.F.F. parts sat in a bin beside it. A security desk armed with electronics and empty food boxes lined the left wall. He sent a glance at the vent in the floor on the rightmost wall. He hesitated. That would lead to Vanny's hideout above Fazerblast. However, he had already been there, and that door had been marked "out of order". That trip would just be a waste of time. Besides, he'd already played the Balloon Boy game. What if she was there? What if that's how she got to the West Arcade so quickly and he just walked right into her gloved hands?

Nope, he wasn't chancing it. Absolutely not.

He walked to the line of tech and connected desk space on the left wall.

The door opened.

Gregory jumped and sucked in his breath. He sighed upon seeing the chicken animatronic. "Hey, Chica!"

"Oh! Sorry to scare you!" Chica called, careful to keep her voice low enough not to become a shriek. "Um… that's the badge, right? You just need that?"

"Yep!" Gregory grinned and turned to the Freddy-head-badge-holder on the desk. It slowly opened, let him take the card, and then snapped shut again.

The scant lights went out.