Chapter Text
You had done everything to prepare yourself for the new job. You even fiddled with your Fazwatch a bit at home to look over the maps and get a feel for the layout and areas, but the place was so big; you didn’t think you could memorize it so quickly if you tried. The badge they gave you wasn’t a very high clearance, but you supposed if you needed a higher one at any point, they would give one to you. It was probably to keep you out of more dangerous areas right away until you felt more comfortable in your position. At least, that’s what you liked to believe. Knowing Fazbear Entertainment, they probably didn’t care very much about your safety, but you had to admit, it seemed like they cleaned up their act for the new place. Not only did you get quite a fair wage, but you got a ton of benefits included with working there. They even gave you a discount on tickets and items sold in the plex. If you ended up working at the food court, which you prayed you wouldn’t have to, they would give you a free meal which you thought was awfully kind of them. You received instructional videos through email along with advice and tips for your time at your job.
One in particular caught your eye. It was a video introducing you to the animatronics. You couldn’t help but instantly press play in hopes of seeing more of the amazing beings. It started out with the main four. Which in itself made you pause. There were five Glamrocks before. Watching further into the video, you found them to be missing Bonnie. When you thought even harder about it, wasn’t there another animatronic like them in Kid’s Cove? Foxy maybe? Yeah, you were sure of it. Where were they in the video? You decided to keep watching.
They introduced you to DJ Music Man, a gigantic spiderlike animatronic on the top floor who manned the DJ booth for the stage in the West Arcade. You never explored that part of the Pizzaplex when you went there due to the overwhelming sound that came from the area. The loud dance floor was not your place in life, so you tried to stick away from it, but it looked like you may be visiting now with your new position. After the DJ, came a bright solar themed animatronic officially called The Daycare Attendant. In parenthesis, you saw they had put “Sun.” Just as his official title stated, he was the animatronic in the daycare, but you couldn’t help but be thoroughly impressed with him. He was completely different from the Glamrocks. The DJ was as well, but Sun mesmerized you. He looked tall. Even taller than Freddy and the gang. But the video showed him entertaining kids with incredible skill and balance. You didn’t get a good enough look at him with how quickly they went over him in the video. For a moment the video went forward to show a glimpse of a darker animatronic like Sun, but the video glitched out and moved on to your disappointment without much of a trace of that animatronic. After that, they introduced you to the S.T.A.F.F. Bots and Wet Floor Bots. They were explained quickly but noted that despite not being as high tech, they still kept the building running.
The video ended sadly without any mention of Bonnie or Foxy. You wondered if they were gone now or maybe if they were moved to another location. You also wondered about the dark themed animatronic that had blipped on your screen during the video. Was he still around? Was it a mistake that his part of the video was cut? You’d have to ask later. For now, you took in the information and readied yourself for bed. You needed the sleep if you wanted to be up for work in the morning. They had you come in early, six in the morning to be precise. They said if you showed up earlier that the shutters would still be down over the doors of the entrance, so it would make more sense to show up exactly at six. You ignored their words. You would be there early. You needed the time in the parking lot to finalize your resolve and get yourself calmed for the day ahead. You cleaned up before bed and laid out your things for the morning while setting an alarm to wake yourself up with. Once all set, you laid down into your pillows and let yourself drift into sleep.
It had barely felt like five minutes before your alarm blared for you to get up. You begrudgingly sat yourself up enough to reach for your phone and turn it off. You were exhausted, but it didn’t stop you from making your way out of bed to get ready for the day. You did each task, slowly but surely, before you finished with putting on your Fazwatch and taking a final look in the mirror. You told yourself that today would be a good day. You would make it a good day. With those words in your head, you pulled on your shoes as you walked out the door with your keys and locked up. You got in your car and started your way to your new “second home.” The drive was peaceful at this time of day. The few people that were out and about were quiet and on their own way to work. You didn’t have to worry about traffic or any unexpected incidents this early in the morning. It was just what you needed to think.
You arrived 15 minutes before opening, and to your surprise, there was only one car in the parking lot, which happened to be empty. Probably someone on night shift. You guessed that people really did wait until six on the dot to arrive, but at least that meant you got a good parking spot. You sat in your car, breathing and clearing your mind. You took your time unbuckling and getting out to walk towards the entrance. Once at the entrance you closed your eyes while focusing back on your breathing. Your phone buzzed, causing your focus to be lost, and you dug it out of your pocket. It was a text from your friend wishing you good luck on your first day. It was the same friend who teased you about falling “head over heels” the moment you saw the animatronics that day over two years ago. You smiled and texted him back a thank you. No text from your partner yet though. That was unfortunate. Lost in memories, you were surprised the moment you heard a loud greeting.
“Hey! Look who’s waiting in line for opening,” Sasha teased as she jogged up to you, “Seriously, how early did you get here? You didn’t take me as the type to wait out in the chilly weather to be first inside.”
“I only got here 15 minutes early. I think that’s a reasonable time to arrive,” you replied while looking at your phone.
Five minutes until the gates opened. You looked out behind you to see a couple of cars starting to pull into the parking lot. They pulled in but made no move to get out of their cars. You didn’t blame them. It was a bit chillier than you expected, causing you to rub your hands together to bring some life back to them. Sasha noticed your failing attempts and brought her hands out to take yours but was interrupted by the shutters beginning to open for the doors. The sound and movement startled the both of you enough to step back. You were going to laugh it off but quickly found your voice overridden by another greeting you. It was your manager again, walking up to the building just in time to be able to unlock the now accessible doors to allow the both of you inside along with the very few employees there to start their days so early. Your manager allowed the few people who showed inside before locking the door behind them.
“We don’t open the front entrance officially until eight when business hours start unless you get here right at six when a manager with a key gets here. Most employees enter through the dock doors, which I’ll show you on your tour today,” they said while pocketing their key and motioning you to follow them towards one of the desks to clock in.
You were each shown how to properly clock in with your employee number before being guided further inside.
“We probably won’t get a better chance than now for you to meet the main crew, so let’s get to Rockstar Row before the animatronics need to start getting ready for the day.”
Your manager wasted none of their time explaining the route they took to take you to see the band. They simply walked and expected you to keep up. Easier said than done. You found yourself jogging a couple of times to not be left behind. You figured it was a pace you’d get used to once you worked in the Pizzaplex for long enough. Once you arrived in Rockstar Row, your manager knocked on the door to Freddy’s greenroom only for it to open seconds later with a happy Freddy on the other side.
“Why hello there! What can I do for you this fine morning?” Freddy asked as he looked at your manager.
“We’ve got a couple of new building floats that are starting today. I believe their files were sent to everyone a few days ago. Can you gather the rest of the band for introductions?” They asked, getting straight to the point.
Freddy gave a quick glance to you and Sasha with a perk of his ears, before nodding to the person in charge, “Yes, of course! Just give me one moment.”
Freddy stood taller for a moment as his eyes processed something before relaxing back into his regular stance and walking out to meet with the two of you. As he reached you, you heard three other doors open in unison and watched as Roxanne, Montgomery, and Chica all exited their greenrooms to join Freddy. Roxanne took her time walking out as Montgomery dragged his feet and Chica picked up her pace. Chica joined first, followed by Roxanne and then Montgomery. You felt excitement from Freddy and Chica, both who seemed to look more at you than Sasha. Roxanne seemed indifferent for the most part but eyed the both of you with a hint of curiosity. Montgomery though? He seemed to avoid even looking at the two of you. His attitude reeked of something sour, and you had a feeling it was because of you and Sasha.
“Band, these are our two new hires. They are building floats, meaning they may get the opportunity to be your handlers at some point during their careers here at Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex. That also means they will have the opportunity to do a slew of other jobs around the plex. If they ask for directions or anything, do your best to either help them or point them in the right direction. Please remember to be courteous, Monty I’m looking at you.”
“Aw, fuck off,” Monty said with a roll of his eyes before sneering at you as he noticed your eyes on him.
You instantly pointed your gaze in a different direction.
“Language, Monty. It’s no longer night hours, so watch your mouth. These two newbies will be getting a lot thrown at them these next few days, so we are expecting you four to be on your best behavior around them. But please remember we expect the same from them. To all of you, please report any misbehavior to me or another higher-ranking manager. I don’t expect this to be a problem, but it never hurts to remind everyone that we are all working together to put on a magical experience for our guests, no fighting or unbefitting behavior in front of the patrons. If you really need to verbally duke it out, please keep it backstage or afterhours. Am I clear?” Your manager finished while looking between the two groups.
You all nodded in the affirmative leaving them to nod back, “Great. Go ahead and introduce yourselves. I have to make a call quick.”
Your manager walked a bit of a way down the hallway before pulling out their phone and entering in a number. You watched them go quietly before bringing your attention back to the group. Sasha was first to speak up, quickly grabbing the speaking spotlight.
“Heya! Nice to meet you all. I’m Sasha. It’s a pleasure to be working here!” She said with that same brilliant smile she gave you when you first met.
“It is good to meet you, Sasha! We look forward to working with you as well,” Freddy said as he beamed happily at her with his eyes closed and his smile wide before reaching out his hand for her to take, “You may already know, but in case you didn’t, my name is Freddy, and these are my friends Chica, Roxanne, and Montgomery.”
Sasha happily shook his hand before going to do the same with the rest of the group. Everyone seemed to shake her hand willingly save for Montgomery. He kept his arms crossed and his face turned away from her. This didn’t discourage Sasha in the slightest as she reached up and forcefully squeezed her hand into his to shake it anyways. Monty seemed shocked at her actions before artificially sighing and shaking her hand back half-heartedly. Your voice spoke up and introduced yourself after Sasha’s hand retreated.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you all!” You said without realizing the building excitement in your eyes as you took them in.
They looked slightly different now. There must have been some small cosmetic upgrades completed while you were away studying and gaining experience, but they were still pretty close to how they originally looked when you first saw them. Each one of the Glamrocks seemed to notice your glowing interest in them, causing quite a few smiles. You held out your hand towards Freddy which definitely gathered all of his attention. His ears wiggled as he gave you a warm smile and gently took your hand. And you were reminded of how soft his touch was. Firm, but soft.
“The pleasure is truly all ours,” he said as he gazed happily upon you before speaking up once again as you shook hands, “You know, your eyes haven’t changed. I sure hope your footing has though.”
You were surprised by his words as you caught up with them, “My eyes? Wait, do you remember when we first met?”
Freddy nodded with a chuckle before letting go of your hand, “Of course I do. How could I forget someone with such starry eyes!”
You felt embarrassed at his words like you had been caught doing something you wouldn’t want others to see, and that embarrassment only grew when Sasha chimed in, “You are absolutely right! That’s exactly how your eyes look. It looks like you are constantly looking at the stars! Man, when we trade numbers, Starry-eyed is definitely going to be your nickname in my phone.”
You looked to the ground as you tried to overcome the flustered feeling, but your hand quickly being grabbed by a sturdy and solid one brought you back as Chica shook your hand a few times excitedly with a grin, “Aw, don’t let these two snuff you out! It’s a pleasure, Rockstar!”
“Nothing wrong with having life in your eyes, you know,” Roxanne said as she took your hand next with a firmer and more refined shake.
Roxanne bumped Montgomery with a demanding look that had the gator rolling his eyes and putting his hand out for you to shake. She must have known somehow that you wouldn’t push Monty for a handshake like Sasha had, but that wasn’t flying with her.
“Yeah, whatever,” Montgomery said to you as he waited for you to take his hand.
Once you put your hand into his, he nearly crushed it in his grasp while giving it one solid shake before letting you go to rub at your hand. Even the personality in each of their handshakes had you impressed. There was something otherworldly about them that you were dying to figure out, but another question had seated itself in your brain earlier that you couldn’t help but ask.
“I hope this isn’t inappropriate to ask, but are Foxy and Bonnie still around? I didn’t see them in the introduction video, and I didn’t know if they’d be around this area or maybe somewhere else.”
With your question came varying looks of surprise that all turned into something a bit different. Freddy’s ears drooped as he looked off to the side sadly. Chica looked a bit panicked at you with a raise of her hands. Roxanne looked uncomfortable, crossing her arms while placing her gaze to the ground. Montgomery though? He looked filled with rage as he balled his hands into fists at his sides. Almost as if you had stepped on an invisible landmine in his mind. Chica spoke before anyone else could to quickly clear up the misunderstanding.
“You weren’t around when anything happened so of course you don’t know! Foxy had some troubles during the first year of the Pizzaplex being open, so he was, well…” Chica trailed off as she looked for the right word.
“Retired. He was retired,” Roxanne said for her, grimacing a bit at the word the first time she said it.
“Yes! He was retired. As for Bonnie, well,” Chica started but was cut off by Freddy this time.
“He went missing a while ago. It is nothing to worry about, everyone is safe, and security keeps more of an eye on everyone, but we keep our eyes out for him,” Freddy said calmly with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
Everyone looked uncomfortable with the topic, and after bringing it up you definitely felt it too, but Sasha seemed to feel that and went to smooth things over.
“Well, we will definitely keep our eyes out for him too, then. Won’t we, Starry-eyed?” She asked with an arm around your shoulders and a playful bump against your side.
“Yeah. We’ll look out for him,” you said with a sympathetic smile, “Sorry for bringing it up.”
“It is no worries. It was bound to come up at some point. Better sooner rather than later,” Freddy replied with an expression that tried to comfort you, but it somehow made the heavy feelings a little worse for you.
You didn’t know it would be such a touchy topic. The Glamrocks were working their way back to a normal state as you and Sasha tried to change subjects, but you could feel the tension sticking around with Montgomery. You felt like he wouldn’t forgive you so easily for this mistake, and you didn’t quite know why. His eyes didn’t leave you even when you weren’t speaking. It made you squirm in your skin. You were almost grateful when your manager came back to grab you and Sasha to continue on with your tour. Everyone said their goodbyes and was told to break a leg. You tried to walk away from the group, but you were grabbed roughly by the arm that kept you in your spot for a moment as you noticed everyone walk away save for you and the animatronic holding you in place. You looked behind you to see Montgomery eyeing you with a hint of disgust. Before you could say anything, he hushed you with a clawed finger to your mouth and bent over to be eye to eye with you.
“Keep Bonnie’s name out of your mouth if you know what’s good for you,” he quietly growled before dropping your arm and turning completely away from you to walk back to his greenroom.
You felt panicked as you watched him go but quickly heard as your manager called for you to keep up. You took one last look at the gator before turning and jogging to catch up with your manager and Sasha. You were learning things fast it seemed. One of those things was not to bring up Bonnie. Probably not Foxy either. While the weight of them didn’t seem to match, they both proved to be sensitive subjects that shouldn’t be pondered on. You accepted that for the time being. There was no way you could challenge the gator. You heard of the rumors of Fazbear Entertainment and missing people. You didn’t like to feed into those rumors because all they really were, were just that, rumors. But you wouldn’t deny the fact that you could easily end up crushed in that animatronics hands. He didn’t seem like he would have any problem with it morally or physically. It was better to stick on the safe side for now, especially with his threatening and temperamental aura. For now, you would focus on the tasks you were given.
You were walked around the upper floors of the building eventually getting you to the very top floor where the DJ lived. Your manager didn’t really introduce you to him. They just told you to wave and the spider-like animatronic waved back before switching up his records and went back to manning the booth. You were warned of smaller windup animatronics that looked like him that roamed the building mostly at night, but they could pop up during the day. You were told each one was called “Lil’ Music Man” and not to be too afraid of them. If anything, you were told a solid punt underneath their bodies would send them flying far enough away to give you a chance to escape them if any acted up. You hated the idea of kicking an animatronic and asked if there were other ways to calm them. Your manager seemed to stare blankly at you for a moment before reminding you of something.
“They are only creatures in the sense of their looks. It is a fact that they are just machines. You can’t truly hurt a machine. Besides, these were just mistakes that ended up getting loose. It wouldn’t necessarily be bad if you damaged one of them. It would give us all a little less grief around the building when dealing with them.”
You hesitantly nodded to their words, unsure of how to feel given the situation you felt you were in while your manager continued on with the tour. Maybe these smaller animatronics were less sentient than the Glamrocks. Maybe they had no sentience at all, but could you really kick one without guilt? Did they really deserve that? Sasha saw your mind working as you all walked, connecting your hesitance with what was previously said. She gave you a sympathetic smile.
She leaned over to whisper to you as you walked, “You know, they never said it was required that you hurt them. You can always just turn and run as far as your legs will take you if things go badly!”
You eased at her words and gave her your thanks for the suggestion. She was right. It wasn’t mandatory, so you should just avoid it. You ended up back in the atrium when your manager looked at their Fazwatch.
“Shoot, I don’t have much time left to show you the rest of the building. We’ll skip Superstar Daycare and the second basement and focus on getting through the first basement. You two shouldn’t be going to the second basement anytime soon anyways unless it’s to drop off an animatronic. It’s mostly for mechanics,” they said as they calculated the time in their head and started guiding you faster.
You and Sasha picked up your already fast pace and followed quickly behind them with small bits of information thrown at you about the areas you passed by through the first basement. You looped back through to end up back on ground level nearly in time for open. There were a few more employees scattered about, but you mostly saw S.T.A.F.F. Bots getting in position to start their days. Your manager looked through their Fazwatch to find your positions and after taking a moment to judge the both of you, they decided to assign you to the role they thought each of you would fit best for the day.
“Sasha, I want you to head over to Roxy Raceway to do safety check-ins and assist patrons with their cars. Once the raceway closes before the concert, you can clock out and head home. I’ll meet you there to explain how it works,” they said as they ushered her away before pointing at you, “You, I want you in Freddy’s greenroom in five. You’ll settle as his handler for the day. This does mean you’ll be working later, but I think you’re best for the job. I’ve sent him the information already. He’ll guide you through it.”
You nodded quickly while thanking them before heading up the escalators to the elevator to get to the atrium with them. Once the doors opened, you rushed your way towards Rockstar Row, finding your way the best you could with the memory you had of the building. You arrived at Freddy’s greenroom just in time for him to open the door for you.
“Hello, Superstar! I see you made it just on time. Did you have any trouble getting here?” Freddy asked as he looked at your heavily breathing form.
You shook your head before straightening yourself upright and taking a few deep breaths to help catch the ones you had lost on your way there. Freddy invited you inside, and you walked in before hearing a voice over the speakers welcome everyone in for the day. It was officially time for the Pizzaplex to open its doors to the public.