Chapter Text
Gregory had lived in the pizzeria for a while now.
Surprisingly only a portion of the building had collapsed from the… incident in the underground pizzeria. Roxy's raceway had already had its structural issues due to the pit underneath slowly eating away at its foundation and it only took a bit of its surroundings with it. After just a few weeks of fazbear inc’s shady construction work the place was up and running once again too (at least for the most part). With the rapid repairs being made no one really noticed the random kid running around either and they had more important work to finish anyways if they had seen Gregory during that time.
Freddy was also very grateful to see that his friends were able to be repaired after everything that he had put them through. With some convincing they had come around to Gregory and eventually Gregory warmed up to them too. Freddy looked after him for the most part but they did eventually start passing him around between each other to hide him and to spend time with him. They definitely had some respect for the way Gregory handled himself that night and he really was a good kid when he wasn’t being chased around by a murderous rabbit lady.
They eventually fell into a routine together. A surprisingly comfortable one at that. It was honestly more than Gregory expected, but he should’ve figured that Freddy would do anything in his power to make sure he was safe and taken care of. It was more than Gregory had had in a very long time. The least he could do to repay him was to take care of himself and keep his adoptive dad from worrying so much about him.
That was harder said than done though.
Gregory kept finding himself drawn back under.
He currently sat with his legs hanging off the ledge of a seemingly bottomless pit the workers had left open in case they ever had to make further repairs to the building's foundation. It had a ladder going down in it, but where it stopped he couldn’t be sure. He'd thrown things into it in the past and could barely hear when they hit the bottom.
On one hand he couldn’t help but be curious about what it was like down there, but on the other he couldn’t help but be worried that they hadn’t fully destroyed everything down there. He should just talk to Freddy about it but he didn’t want him to worry more than he does already. It wasn’t… safe, but if Freddy never found out that he went down there he wouldn’t ever have to worry about it. It was just to confirm they got everything anyway. He'd be in and out again as fast as possible. A lot of workers had been fine working out of here so it probably WAS fine but he really needed to see it for himself.
“Here goes nothing..” he mumbled to himself as he flipped himself around on the edge and over onto the ladder.
As he started going down he could quickly feel it start to get colder. He was very grateful he had remembered his jacket before he set out to do this. He wished he had gloves though as the metal rungs of the ladder got pretty cold. He'd have to see if for some reason they sold some in one of the shops that he could get his hands on when he (hopefully) got back.
The deeper Gregory went into the dark the more nervous he got. It had given him a little too much time to think about everything that could happen to him down there. He also thought about reaching back to grab his flashlight a few times but reasoned it would be harder to go on with only one hand, especially when he started to feel tired. It would really suck if he dropped it too and it broke when it hit the bottom. He wasn’t scared of the dark or anything but he did not want to be standing down there in it.
Freddy would also not have liked the way he swore a few times on the ladder. It was reasonable though! It was only when he almost missed a step with his foot or slipped a bit down. He at least made it all the way to the bottom in one piece so he’d have to forgive him for it if he ever told him about this. He could always just strategically not mention those parts too.
Gregory almost wanted to cry with relief when he found his footing again at the bottom. It had to have been deeper than before. Maybe there was an elevator when he had come here with Freddy that night but it shouldn’t have taken him that long to make it down. It wasn’t as painfully slow as that was.
He took a minute to try and warm up his hands, rubbing them together and blowing on them before pulling out his flashlight.
It looked like a normal cave from what he could see with it. No generators, no lights strung up- no building.
He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until the wave of relief hit him that nothing was waiting for him at the bottom. It clearly went on for a bit farther than what he could see standing there at the bottom of the ladder but this alone made Gregory feel worlds better, and a little bit braver as he took steps away from his only escape back to the surface.
“Woah..”
Despite his fears coming down, the further he wandered the more he wanted to explore. He found himself wandering deeper and deeper and occasionally stopping to stuff a cool rock into his pocket or look at the strange way the earth had drug the old restaurant into itself. It had to be partially man made in the earlier parts, but exciting anyways. Gregory almost forgot why he was even there for a minute.
A strange scraping sound dragged him almost immediately out of his excitement though. He froze on the spot, hugging his light closer to his body. He listened carefully and faintly heard something that sounded like breathing.
It came from a spot where the ground sloped out of his sight again. He'd have to get right up to the edge to likely see anything. Gregory could feel his heart racing, and looked back the way he came. If he left now this was going to keep him up at night. He could do this- he got this far.
Gregory made his way towards it with shaky steps. He suddenly felt sick with anxiety, but pushed himself to look down the steep path with his light and found his breath catching in his throat again.
There were no generators, no lights strung up, and no building. There was the mass of parts, and tangle of cables that had destroyed it though and had dragged that monster rabbit man away.
It had not hesitated in looking at Gregory when he turned his light onto it. The thing looked as if it was just as surprised to see Gregory here as he was to see it.
Gregory suddenly felt light headed and stumbled backwards to keep himself from falling down the hill into the thing but in the process dropped his light- It rolled away from him too quickly for him to grab it and he just had to watch as it tumbled down to it instead, leaving him shaking in the dark.
His flashlight no longer lit up its face from where it had landed, but he could still tell where it was. It seemed to have one eye that glowed brightly, and it stayed fixed on him. Gregory felt himself tear up, and couldn’t bring himself to stand. He hated feeling afraid like this. He was gonna die down here this time alone.
A large limb came into the light of his flashlight to pick it up, Its hand made up of mismatched parts that just barely gave it a kind of form separate from the rest of its body. It was strangely delicate with it, holding it between two of its fingers. It broke its gaze away from Gregory for a second to look at it.
“You aren’t…. Supposed t-t-to be he-ere” It’s voice wasn't what he had expected to say in the least. Gregory wasn’t even sure it COULD speak until it did in its high pitched glitchy voice. “Why-y are you?”
Gregory whimpered in response and could only get himself to cough when he tried to speak.
“Hmm…” It seemed to think for a second but then it started to drag itself up the slope towards him. He instinctively pulled himself backwards, and tried to get up, but it was a lot faster than it looked. It trapped him with its other hand as if he was some kind of bug by putting it on top of him. Gregory screamed and kicked at the thing but it was unbothered by it. It picked him up as carefully as it could and held him up to its face as he continued to struggle and started to cry out for Freddy.
Gregory wasn’t paying any attention to it but the thing looked curious about him, and even a little confused as it watched him. “I-I-I have no re-reason to hurt you. Not an-anymore.'' Despite how scratchy their voice was, it still managed to make it sound soft. Something about it also just made them sound tired.
Gregory violently shook his head in response though anyways. He sobbed and kept trying to claw his way out until he had worn himself back out. It was only tight enough to be slightly uncomfortable but his flailing cut himself on some of the sharp edges making up the shape of its hand.
Once he stopped struggling It slowly loosened its grip on him and had him where Gregory was just laying in their open hand instead of being held in its fist. He still looked very scared. It gave him back his flashlight and Gregory stared at it with tired, teary eyes from crying. “I… uh..”
“Wha-a-ats your name-name?”
Gregory just sat there again quietly for a moment, this time more out of surprise and curiosity again than fear. “…Gregory?”
“Weird name for a ki-kid” It grinned at him and if Gregory had just a little less self control he would’ve thrown the light he had just gotten back at it.
“Oh yeah, well- what’s yours then? If yours is so much better-“
“Didn't say it was-“ it laughed a bit “I’m Fr-Freddy. Been called Funti-time but more Molten n-now I guess” It trailed off.
Gregory sat up a bit more “you’re… Freddy? Like Freddy Fazbear..?”
It just nodded this time and brought its face into Gregory’s reach.. Taking a good look at it up close like this he could really see it. This thing was grimy and kinda gross looking but… it’s face really did look like Freddy. Something about realizing that made it a lot less scary. It also made him a little sad though he wasn’t sure why. It’s not like he was his Freddy. This Freddy looked like they should have been mostly white.
Gregory set his flashlight down in his lap and with his hands free again he reached out and put his hands on its face. It almost drew back away from him but stopped itself and let him look it over. If he wasn’t already covered in dirt and soot from being grabbed by it his hands would’ve definitely turned black from holding its face.
“What happened to you?” He sniffled a little.
“Don’t… wanna… talk abou-out that. Long story.”
Gregory frowned a little “but-“
“You… maybe you need to- ne-need to leave now” Molten cut him off and pulled back from him suddenly. Gregory almost fell over as it lowered its hand again for him to be able to get down.
He slid off but quickly turned back to face it. “Wait- but- you don’t have to talk about it but yknow-'' Gregory stood there for a second fumbling over his words as Molten watched them. This was the most interaction theyd gotten in years. They wanted it to end on a good note. Nothing Gregory could learn about them was good. It was best for them if he just left now. “are you like them at least?”
“Wha-What do you me-ean?” It tilted its head.
“Well… Aren’t you lonely down here? You know- do you feel and think about stuff since you didn’t just crush me for bothering you…?”
It stared at him silently again and then turned its head to the side away from him. “N-No. I just…. Need to go-go back to sleep.”
Gregory frowned again “… if I come back would you still be around?”
“I shou-should be asleep.” It said softly, sounding sad.
“Yeah, but you’re not so bad and could use some company I think. I’ve also been told I’m a little too stubborn so I think I’ll come back. You can always sleep and I’ll just sit there. I just can’t be gone too long because my Freddy will get worried-“ Gregory stopped suddenly and looked at his watch. “Actually I do gotta go but I’ll be back okay?”
Molten smiled at that but put his hand to his face to try and hide it “you really shouldn’t-“
“Yeah but I’d feel bad leaving you here alone.” He looked around with his light to find the way he came from as he spoke. “I have lots of weird friends now. We can be too if you want. I don’t think you even really hurt me like some of them did. You’re just big, and a little scary I guess.”
“Wait- Fri-Friends…?”
Gregory just smiled at Molten this time before running back up the way he came. It stared at the spot where he disappeared around the corner and felt… strangely happy. They had expected to get a little entertainment out of the boy to break up the long boring silence in the dark hole they called home, but something about the idea of Gregory coming back- of having a friend again- made him feel excited. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like that. He should know better than to get attached to a living thing again but… Gregory said he was stubborn- they had tried to push him away when he got too curious. If he came back he wouldn’t be upset or anything. It was his choice. They’d even stay awake a little longer just in case he did. They missed talking to people. Even the other parts of them did too! It did get lonely.
They hoped he’d come back. They hoped he wouldn’t get scared away if he got too close.
When Gregory got back up the stairs, fully exhausted and completely coated in filth, the first thing he did was look back down into the pit, and then he started wandering off in the opposite direction of the voices calling for him. Hopefully he could at least wash up a little before getting caught. He needed some time to think about the thing he met in the pit.