Chapter 3

Benji's POV:

"Okay guys, it's time for you five to get into the the back of Mike's truck!" Scott shifted to the Originals.

"How far is the drive?" Chica asked nervously.

"It's only going to be fifteen minutes away from here", I reassured her while gently placing my hand on her arm.

That relaxed Chica a bit from her nerves. The eight of us were standing by the loading dock.

"See ya lads at ta Pizzaplex!" Foxy winked at Scott and I as the five Original animatronics got into the back of the truck.

I waved and shook my head with a smile. Scott got into his car, while I got into mine. I double-checked everything in my vehicle. I had the animatronics' presents, the cookies I had made, and my reindeer headband. Pulling out of the pizzeria parking lot, I followed the other two vehicles toward the Pizzaplex.

We had arrived at the Pizzaplex quicker than expected. I could feel the nerves from everyone in the air, even from me as well. When we parked, Mike jumped out of his truck and opened the back for the Originals. Freddy stepped out first, stretching his arms like he'd been in there for hours.

"Did ya survive back there, mate?" I teased Foxy as he climbed out, a bit disheveled.

"Aye, barely. I think Bonnie was leanin' on me the whole time!" Foxy grumbled dramatically, earning a chuckle from Bonnie.

Chica, however, looked around the massive Pizzaplex with wide eyes, her anxiety clearly bubbling back up. I walked over to her and gently nudged her shoulder. "Hey, remember, it's just a bigger version of the old place. Nothing to worry about."

She gave me a small nod and a soft "Thanks," though I could still see the tension in her posture.

The Pizzaplex lobby was a sensory overload—bright lights, glossy tiles, and music blaring faintly from overhead speakers. Freddy and the other Originals stepped cautiously into the space, glancing around with curiosity. I followed close behind them, balancing my cookie box and fiddling with my reindeer headband. Mike was a few paces ahead, chatting with Scott as they led the way.

Near the center of the lobby, a small group was waiting for us. A woman with sharp but kind features—probably in her mid-thirties—stood with two kids clinging to her sides. Beside her was a younger guy, probably about my age, with messy dark hair and a tired expression.

The woman stepped forward first with a bright smile. "You must be Mike and Benji! I'm Scarlett. Thank you all for coming. This is going to be such a big day for everyone."

I smiled back and nodded. "It's great to meet you! Uh—" I glanced over at the younger guy and the twins curiously. "And you all are?"

Scarlett motioned to the kids. "These are my twins, Ryan and Reagan. They've been buzzing about this since I told them." She ruffled the hair of one—Reagan, I think—who immediately squirmed out of reach and pointed straight at Freddy.

"Mom! He's huge!" Reagan exclaimed.

Freddy chuckled softly, kneeling down a bit to meet the kid's height. "It's a pleasure to meet ya, little one. You're quite the observant one, aren't ya?"

Reagan froze, eyes wide as dinner plates. "H-He talks?"

The other kid, Ryan, tugged on Scarlett's sleeve. "Are they… real?"

I tensed slightly, trying to gauge Scarlett's reaction, but she just smiled patiently. "Very impressive ones, right? Animatronics have come a long way."

"Just part of the magic," I added quickly, shooting Freddy a look. He nodded, clearly catching on.

The younger guy cleared his throat, drawing my attention. "I'm Elijah," he said, offering a small wave. "I—uh, work with the animatronics here. Maintenance, security, and performance stuff."

"Nice to meet you, man," I said, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, though he looked a little more closely at the Originals than anyone else had so far, especially Chica. She smiled politely at him, but Elijah's brow furrowed as if something wasn't adding up in his head.

Mike clapped his hands together, breaking the awkwardness. "Alright, where do you want the gang? We've got them all nervous, and Benji here's brought enough cookies to feed an army."

Scarlett gestured toward the back hallway. "The main party area is ready. Let's get them settled before the kids arrive."

As we started walking, I couldn't help sneaking glances at Elijah. Something about him tugged at the back of my mind. His face seemed familiar like I'd seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't place it.

He must have caught me staring because he turned his head suddenly. "You good?"

"Oh! Uh—yeah, totally fine," I stammered, looking away quickly. Freddy tilted his head at me, clearly amused.

When we reached the Atrium, I glanced back one last time at Elijah as he walked ahead with Chica and Bonnie. Then it hit me like a brick wall, and I froze mid-step, my breath catching in my throat.

I knew him.

I didn't know from where though, but I knew him.

"Benji, you okay?" Mike asked, pausing to look at me.

I swallowed hard and shook it off, plastering on a smile. "Yeah, yeah. Let's do this."

But as I followed the group into the Atrium, the unease lingered. Elijah looked too familiar, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was going on here.

Elijah's POV:

I heard Benji's gasp while I felt his eyes bore into the back of my head. My anxiety was creeping up as we walked into the Atrium. That was until we stepped into the vibes of the party. The cookies were good—like, shockingly good. I hadn't expected Benji to be some kind of baking wizard, but the proof was in the way Bonnie and Foxy were practically inhaling them. Even Chica looked like she was ready to cry over how perfect they were.

I was trying to enjoy the calm, but then the double doors to the Atrium slid open.

The Glamrocks walked in.

I tensed immediately, my gaze flicking between the Originals—Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Golden Freddy—and their modern counterparts. Glamrock Freddy led the charge, with Monty swaggering next to him like he owned the place. Roxy followed behind, looking like she couldn't care less, while Glamrock Chica chatted cheerfully with Gregory, the kid trailing just behind them. The Daycare Attendant hovered silently, and DJ Music Man loomed like a giant over the group.

It was quiet for too long.

The Originals and the Glamrocks were staring each other down like two packs of wolves sizing each other up. I'd seen enough awkward situations to know how bad this could go.

"Whoa…" Gregory's voice finally broke the silence. He sounded completely awestruck. "They're huge."

Golden Freddy stepped forward first, slow and deliberate. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said calmly, his voice perfectly even.

Glamrock Freddy responded with a warm smile and offered a handshake. "The pleasure's ours. I've heard so many stories about you."

Golden Freddy hesitated—barely a second—but shook his hand. The ice started to crack, but it didn't quite break. Not yet.

I exhaled slowly as the two groups began mingling if you could call it that. Foxy and Roxy had already started trading sarcastic jabs, Monty and Bonnie were bickering about guitars, and Freddy was piling cupcakes on his plate like they were going extinct.

Somehow, it worked.

The food helped, of course. It always did. Scarlett had gone all out—pizza, lasagna, roasted ham, pasta salad, rolls, cupcakes, greens, and even a hot chocolate bar that had Gregory and the twins in heaven. I didn't think I'd ever see Chica so emotional over ham.

Slowly but surely, the tension faded. The room was filled with laughter, music, and the kind of chaotic joy that could only happen in a place like this. DJ Music Man let Gregory dart between his legs, Glamrock Freddy and Golden Freddy swapped jokes, and Bonnie was suddenly in the middle of an impromptu jam session with Glamrock Chica.

It was nice. I should've been able to relax.

But I couldn't.

Because Benji kept looking at me.

At first, I thought I was imagining it. Maybe I was just paranoid—wouldn't have been the first time. But then I felt his eyes following me when I slipped out of the room for some air.

The cool air was a relief, sharp, and grounding. I tilted my head back, staring up at the dark sky, and let the noise of the party fade into the background. I just needed a second to breathe.

"Thought you might want one of these."

I jumped slightly at the sound of Benji's voice. When I turned, he was holding out one of his cookies, looking far too casual for someone who'd followed me out here.

"Thanks," I said quietly, taking it from him.

For a moment, we just stood there in silence. I hoped—prayed—he'd just let it go, that this was nothing. But then he spoke, and my stomach dropped.

"You're Eli Sway, aren't you?"

I froze. The cookie stopped halfway to my mouth, and I turned to stare at him. "What did you say?"

He didn't back down. "I know it's you. You're Eli Sway—the singer. The guy who disappeared after that whole mess with Andrew."

The words hung between us like a storm cloud. My heart hammered in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. He wasn't going to let this go. I could see it in his face.

After a long moment, I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. "You're not going to drop this, are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Figures." I shoved my hands into my pockets, my voice bitter as I admitted, "Alright, fine. You're right—I'm Eli Sway. Or I was, anyway."

His expression shifted, from curiosity to something softer. "But… what happened? I mean, everyone thought you were—"

"Dead?" I finished for him, my voice flat. "Yeah, that was the idea."

I turned to face him fully, the cold air sharp in my lungs. "My psycho ex, Andrew, didn't take our breakup well. He was controlling, obsessive… dangerous. I tried to get away, but he wouldn't let go."

I could see the shock on Benji's face, but I pushed forward, needing him to understand. "He blew up my house, Benji. Blew it up. If I hadn't been out that night, I'd be dead. So, I disappeared. Faked it. Let the world think I was gone."

Benji stared at me, stunned. "But… why hide here? At the Pizzaplex?"

"Because no one would think to look here," I replied with a shrug. "This place is chaos—kids, animatronics, noise. Who would think Eli Sway is fixing robots in a giant pizza mall? It's the last place Andrew or anyone else would look."

He was quiet for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you okay? With all of this?"

That question caught me off guard. I looked at him—really looked at him—and saw he meant it. No judgment, no pity, just genuine concern.

"I'm better now than I was," I admitted quietly. "That's something."

He held out his hand, his voice steady. "Your secret's safe with me, Eli. I promise."

For a second, I hesitated, but there was no doubt in his expression. Slowly, I shook his hand, feeling a weight lift off my chest that I hadn't even realized was there. "Thanks, Benji. I owe you one."

His lips quirked into a smirk. "Yeah, well, you can repay me by trying more of those cookies."

That pulled a laugh out of me—a real one, small but genuine. "Deal."

When we returned to the party, nothing had changed. Bonnie and Glamrock Chica were still performing, Freddy and Golden Freddy were swapping dad jokes, and Gregory and the twins were now hyped up on what had to be an irresponsible amount of hot chocolate.

Benji gave me a small, reassuring nod before drifting back into the chaos. I grabbed a plate of food and looked around, the noise and laughter wrapping around me like a blanket.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe I could breathe again.

Things weren't perfect. They probably never would be. But for now, this was enough.

And that was something I could hold onto.