Archive of Our Own

Everyone was staring.

Everyone could see the giant animatronic bear at the counter ordering a sandwich. The boy at his side was trying his best to avert eye contact.

The worker awkwardly stared for a few seconds before handing the bear the paper bag with a sandwich and milk inside.

“Um, have a nice day…”

“You as well, thank you!” The bear said, with a heavy robotic voice.

The bear left the restaurant calmly, the boy hurriedly walking behind him.

—

“That was so awkward!”

Gregory found himself eating a breakfast sandwich in an alley, sitting on a cardboard box, and in front of him, Freddy was sitting, trying to fit his bottom on another cardboard box without crushing it beneath his weight.

“Gregory, as you are a growing boy, I recommend that you should eat!” Freddy said with a smile.

“Could you have not done that?! Everyone was looking at us! I thought I was gonna die!” Gregory replied, exasperated.

“Gregory, I apologize, but it was impertinent that I got food for you. It was my main concern.” Freddy said with an unchanging face.

Gregory drew a heavy sigh. He knows he means well, but he can’t help but feel that Freddy is socially inept. But that’s to be expected, only living within the walls of the Pizzaplex they left behind. Gregory stared at the bagel sandwich in his hands.

“Hey, how did you pay for this?” Gregory asked. He was too busy hiding his face in the side of Freddy’s leg to even pay attention to what happened in the restaurant. Freddy showed his left arm to the boy, it opened up to reveal a small compartment for a credit card.

“All of the animatronics are required to have one of these on their persons at all times.”

“What? Why?”

“When purchases are made for certain packages, such as myself being included in someone’s birthday party, the charge goes to this card right here! It also connects to Fazbear Entertainment’s full funding!” Freddy explained.

“Whoa, you just have full access to all of their money?” Gregory said in amazement.

“Certainly! All it takes is a bit of networking, some passwords to fill in, and I can transfer all the money I need to this card!”

“But, what if they track us down? They have to be monitoring all of their money, considering the cheap rip-offs they always make…”

“There are many mini Fazbear Entertainment establishments all across the country, and there are many Freddy’s at each of them, it would be impossible for them to pinpoint which Freddy is taking money from their savings!” Freddy said, gesturing with a thumbs up.

“I dunno, I don’t think there would be many Freddy’s that would be taking money from the company…” Gregory replied with a worried tone.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, superstar. Now, go ahead and eat your food!” Freddy reassured in a nonchalant tone.

Gregory took a bite. It had sausage, eggs, bacon, and cheese. It’s been a while since he’s had warm food…

Homelessness is not something Gregory would wish upon anyone. The only warm food he’s had was pizza, from sneaking in the Pizzaplex, masquerading as a birthday guest. But he would get caught frequently, and kicked out because of lack of guest profiling. His Glamrock Freddy shoes were found in the trash, it took hours to wash the stains out. These terrible memories couldn’t stop leaking out from Gregory’s eyes. Freddy noticed after looking up.

“O-Oh Gregory! What’s wrong? Is the sandwich not tasty? I’m so sorry!” Freddy immediately tried consoling. Gregory laughed.

“It’s good, Freddy. It tastes good…”

“What were your friends like?”

It was the dead of night, in the van that Gregory stole from the Pizzaplex loading dock. Gregory was tired, and Freddy took it upon himself to continue driving, despite not having prior driving experience, with the existence of self-driving cars, if an A.I. is capable of driving a car, an animatronic could certainly drive a car.

“Hm? Why do you ask?” Freddy replied to Gregory’s attempt at small talk.

“I mean, you talked about them like they were actually nice. I’ve only known them from when they were chasing me, trying to hurt me.” Gregory said, head leaning against the window.

“Hmm, well who would you like to know about first?”

“Um, Chica. I saw her first after we left the tunnels.”

“Chica… She was so sweet and kind. She loved food, as you already know. Despite her love of food, she loved her friends even more. She was such a charmer, she would always cheer us on before a performance. There was a reason why she was in charge of serving at birthdays.” Freddy said, gazing longingly at the road in front of the wheel.

Gregory felt guilty, knowing what he did to her. He wouldn’t regret it, though, she attacked him. He remembers how she looked at him after the trash compactor came up. He still remembers the fear he had felt before kicking her in the face.

“Oh… What about Roxy?” Gregory asked, hoping to take his mind off the scary memories he had about the chicken.

“Roxanne, she was so energetic, and confident. They way she always put on a courageous smile before a performance was awe-inspiring. But deep down, I knew that she had some problems she needed to deal with. I would always comfort her when she needed a “recharge,” encouraging her, and cheering her up when she felt down.”

The way Freddy smiled as he talked about Roxy made Gregory feel bad. He deliberately crashed a go-kart into her. But looking back, Roxy was terrible to Gregory. The way she constantly called herself ‘the best’ was nothing short of narcissism. And the way she called out Gregory by berating him hurt a lot. It wasn’t nice to hear how he was unimportant, or how he had no friends. He still didn’t regret veering that kart into her face, but he still felt guilty about it, hearing how Freddy felt about Roxy.

“Oh, um… How about Monty?” Gregory asked, trying to shake off the self-esteem related thoughts.

“Monty, how he was so bold! Despite his main attraction being mini-golf, he never let that stop him from being the rockstar he tried hard to be. He was always eager to be in the spotlight. He was loud and rough, a bit careless, if I were to admit. But he was my bassist, and he was important to us all. I guess you could say he was very reliable, to say the least.” Freddy explained, his tone going up and down when speaking honestly about his friend.

Gregory thought Monty was the scariest. He was too rough for his taste, and being chased around by him was terrifying, how he leapt across the room for him. His claws were useful when he installed them on Freddy, but Gregory would still flinch whenever Freddy would burst through the cyclone gates around the pizzeria. Montgomery was definitely the most damaged of the three, he was reduced to a torso after Gregory dumped the Splash Bucket on top of him. Even after this, the way he relentlessly crawled after him was disturbing. Despite how Freddy talked about him, Gregory couldn’t bear to tell Freddy what he saw in the last level of the Monty Golf AR-Cade game. The sight of Freddy thrown in a dumpster…

Gregory would never regret taking his claws from him.

“Gregory, I know how scary it must have been for you… I know you had a hand in their fates in the Pizzaplex.” Freddy said, taking note of Gregory’s startled frame as he told him his revelation.

“I-I’m sorry. I know how you were against me taking their parts, but…”

“I wasn’t finished. I know that they were so angry, and confused. But I didn’t take into account how you felt about constantly being attacked by them, I should have realized sooner that your life was in danger. I guess… I just had too much faith in them. I’m sorry, Gregory.” Freddy explained to him, trying his hardest to hide his downtrodden tone.

“N-No! I’m sorry! I knew how much they meant to you, and that you never wanted to hurt them, but I still went out of my way to steal their parts. I destroyed them…” Gregory apologized. He was interrupted by a hand on his head. Freddy reached over to pat Gregory on his head.

“It’s okay, Gregory. Don’t apologize. You did what you had to do, and I could never be mad at you. I didn’t mean to stress you out about this. Now, you should get some sleep. There’s a bed in the back of the van. You can use it to rest.” Freddy reassured Gregory, slowly rubbing his head, whilst still keeping his eyes on the road.

“Okay. Good night, Freddy.”

“Good night, superstar. Sweet dreams.”

“You’re so dirty. We have to clean you up.”

It’s almost 2AM and the van stopped at a 24-hour car wash. Gregory took the time to charge Freddy with the car battery, and Freddy took it upon himself to refuel the car while Gregory got some rest. It was when he was done when Gregory spotted the car wash’s self cleaning option. He took a look at Freddy, who was covered in soot and dirt.

“Gregory, I’m fine. You don’t need to waste your energy on me.” Freddy said with a kind look. Gregory shook his head.

“No! You look terrible. Let’s wash you up! I think you’ll like it!”

“I don’t know about this, Gregory…”

“It’ll be fine! Go on, pay for it!”

Freddy took out the Fazbear Entertainment card from his compartment and slid it into the slot. Gregory reached up and picked the self-cleaning option. From there, the garage opened, and inside was a hose with some soap, a stool, and a large space for cars. Gregory took Freddy by the hand, and led him to the open space.

“Gregory, I do not know if I am waterproof…”

“I’ll be careful! Your shell covers most of your wiring, so it should be okay.”

Freddy nervously sat down on the stool, while Gregory took the hose and prepared to rinse him. Freddy was nervous that he was going to short-circuit immediately and shut down, and leave Gregory forever. Freddy was deep in thought until he realized that he was already being doused with a light stream of water.

“It’s not so bad! Lemme get some soap…” Gregory reassured, turning to grab the bottle of car soap. Freddy let out a sigh of relief.

“I was really worried that I would cease to function. Water is not… compatible with animatronics.” Freddy said. Gregory started to scrub him down with a sponge.

“I told you I’d be careful! I don’t want to hurt you, Freddy…”

“Oh Gregory, I’m sorry for doubting you. I guess I was too caught up with how you felt that I’ve neglected to take care of myself. You’re a smart boy, superstar.”

Gregory giggled at the praise. He continued to shine Freddy until all of the dirt and grime was gone. It was only a matter of time until Freddy returned to how he looked from when they first met.

After a few good minutes, Freddy was shining once more.

“Wow, Gregory! I think this is my best upgrade yet!” Freddy exclaimed. Gregory giggled at the quip.

“Hahaha, I just cleaned you. You look so good when you’re not covered in dirt!”

Freddy was properly dried and the both of them returned to the van.

“Gregory, when was the last time you had a bath?” Freddy inquired. Gregory couldn’t give him an answer.

“I’ve set my GPS to the nearest hotel. We’ll get you bathed, get you some proper food, and get you sleeping in a proper bed.”

“Freddy, you don’t need to…”

“You gave me a bath, and now it’s time for me to return the favor. Besides, it’s not healthy to go without bathing. You could get an infection!” Freddy reassured.

“Okay… But I don’t know how we’ll get a room without drawing loads of attention.” Gregory said, being reminded of the breakfast sandwich incident.

“Just take the card and book a room, they can’t refuse service to anyone, not even a kid, I would imagine. But if they ask, tell them that your father will use the side entrance and elevator to get to the room.” Freddy laid out.

“My father…” Gregory pondered. He never really opened up to Freddy about his upbringing. How he’s a homeless kid who snuck in the Pizzaplex, hoping not to become one of the disappearing residents near that area. But Gregory trusts Freddy. He’s already miles and miles away from the Pizzaplex, where he should belong, but Freddy chose to go with Gregory, even if he would risk shutting down without a proper recharge.

“Yeah, okay. My dad.” Gregory could only say.

Freddy gave him a smile as they drove along the endless road.

“I’ve never seen real television before…”

Gregory found himself in a rather expensive hotel room. It was nerve racking going up to the front desk by himself, but he managed to book the room, and the number on the key handed to him led to a room on the 37th floor. He scrambled around for the nearest elevator, and met Freddy at the bottom floor, and the pair made their way to the hotel room. Gregory was given a bath, albeit a little struggle from Freddy, who tried to help him and at the same time, was trying hard not to accidentally short-circuit himself. After the arduous event, Gregory was dressed in rental pajamas, his regular clothes in a washer in a closet near the entrance of the room. A rather expensive hotel indeed. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he found Freddy, eyes glued to the TV in front of one of the beds.

“There were some large screens at the Pizzaplex, but none of them played shows like this one.” Freddy said, not even glancing towards Gregory. The TV was playing some sort of show, it was some mainstream adult TV show about a friend group of adults living in some big-wig city. Gregory couldn’t understand it.

“I dunno. I’m just a kid, I never watched shows like that growing up. It’s probably for adults.” Gregory said. Freddy turned around.

“I see. Did you want to eat anything? We can order something if you’d like. The phone and the menu are right there.” Freddy pointed at the desk near the entrance. Gregory was about to protest, but the loud growl from his stomach interrupted him. Freddy gave him a look.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll order something.” Gregory gave up.

Gregory got up from the bed to pick up the phone and order some food via room service. Freddy sat in a nearby chair.

“What’d you order, superstar? Pizza?” Freddy asked after Gregory put down the phone.

“A burger. I don’t think I wanna see any pizza for a while…” Gregory muttered. Freddy giggled.

“It’s okay, Gregory. Order what you want, I don’t want to force you.” he replied with a reassuring voice.

Gregory waited around until he heard a knock and someone calling out “Room service!” Gregory shoved Freddy in the bathroom, shut the bathroom door, and opened the hotel room door to greet the bellhop standing outside the room.

“One burger with a side of fries.” the bellhop said, holding out a plate of said entree. Gregory pulled out the Fazcard (as Freddy started calling it) and paid for the meal upfront with a portable card reader, the kind that pizza delivery men often used. The bellhop gave Gregory a look.

“Are you here by yourself, kid?” the bellhop asked before leaving.

“Oh, n-no. I’m here with… I’m here with my dad. He’s in the bathroom right now.” Gregory answered the question with a bit of apprehension. Thankfully, the bellhop didn’t question any further and left without a moment’s notice. Freddy came out of the bathroom.

“Oh good, your food is here! Thank goodness I wasn’t spotted.” Freddy said. Gregory still hasn’t found an excuse for when Freddy gets spotted by people.

Gregory sat at the desk and took a bite of the burger. It was tender and juicy, and it was topped with a ketchup, and a healthy amount of vegetables, like lettuce, tomato, and onion slices.

“It’s good. I like it.” Gregory said.

“I’m glad you like it, Gregory. Because according to the transaction, that burger cost $34.09.” Freddy replied with a smile. Gregory almost choked on the sandwich.

“What?!”

“Do not be alarmed, Gregory! It is only approximately ten dollars, plus tax, more expensive than the burgers at the Pizzaplex!” Freddy said with a calm smile.

“I don’t think you realize just how expensive everything is at that place…”

—

After a few hours, it became night. Gregory let out a yawn.

“Are you tired, Gregory? I suggest that you sleep.” Freddy said.

“What about you? Are you going to sleep?” Gregory asked while rubbing his eyes.

“I do not need to sleep. I am a robot, remember?” Freddy reminded Gregory. Gregory shook his head.

“I know that, but if you run out of power in the morning, it’ll be impossible to charge you! I don’t want to drag you all the way to the car!” Gregory told the animatronic.

“I hadn’t thought about that… I guess I will ‘sleep’ here.” Freddy said. He got into the bed with Gregory.

“What are you doing? There’s two beds!”

“It will be easier to protect you. Plus, hotel beds are said to hold a tremendous amount of weight!” Freddy replied. Gregory felt embarrassed about it, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t comforted by this.

“Okay… Good night, Freddy.”

“Good night, superstar. Entering rest mode.”

Gregory fell asleep at his side almost instantly, but before that, Gregory remembered that he had to say that his father was in the bathroom to the bellhop earlier, after shoving Freddy in there to hide him.

He was trying to figure out if he meant it or not.

“Do you… know what happened to Bonnie?”

Freddy was getting the hang of driving, and he thought it would be safer if he drove instead of Gregory. Gregory would often ask to drive, and Freddy would let him, but only when his internal GPS shows that the road is mostly straight. It was one day when Freddy was driving, and Gregory was once again glued to the passenger seat, and would be lost in his thoughts until he looked at Freddy, and found himself wanting to learn more about him.

“Bonnie?”

“Yeah, I found a message about kids wanting to know where Bonnie went, and you said you missed him, so…” Gregory paused. Freddy grew silent.

“Do you know what happened to him?”

MISSING

SECURITY REPORT - 12:24AM - Bonnie is seen leaving his green room in Rockstar Row heading east towards the atrium. 2:40AM - Bonnie enters the east arcade. 4:12AM - Bonnie enters Monty Golf.

“I… do not want to say.” Freddy could only say. 

Gregory felt bad. He didn’t mean to pry and make Freddy sad by bringing up bad memories. He was considering going to the back of the van to leave Freddy alone when…

“He was the one who called me ‘superstar,’ you know.”

Gregory looked up at Freddy, who glanced at him in turn. Freddy knew that Gregory didn’t mean any harm when he asked.

“Whenever I would perform, I would always get so nervous. Before Monty joined the band, he was my bassist. He would always encourage me, and he always made me feel so brave. I always felt like… I could do anything as long as he was by my side.” Freddy went on, almost tearfully.

“I was… his superstar.”

Gregory didn’t know if animatronics could cry, but he would find out if Freddy continued talking about it.

“His attraction was the bowling alley, as you know. That’s why it’s called “Bonnie Bowl.” Whenever we weren’t doing a concert, he would be at his own stage, at the diner, playing bass for the customers. I often found myself sitting there, even when there was somewhere I needed to be, because the melody from his bass just… entranced me. When I heard it, I just found myself wanting more… wanting to hear more of Bonnie’s playing. I just… wanted to see him.”

Freddy was gazing at the road in front, with an almost forlorn and bittersweet smile.

Gregory couldn’t describe the smile on Freddy’s face as he talked about Bonnie. It was almost as if his face lit up. He may have been a robot, but the way his face glowed couldn’t be anymore human.

—

“What’s wrong, superstar?”

It was the moment before his next solo show, and Freddy was staring nervously at the stage lift in front of him. From behind, Bonnie was behind him, wearing his bowler outfit.

“Oh, Bonnie. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the diner?”

“What? I can’t steal away for just a minute to see my favorite bear?”

Bonnie gave Freddy a smile. Freddy bashfully put a hand behind his head.

“What’s the matter, Fred? Butterflies in your stomach?”

“I’m just nervous, that’s all. I’ve never sang solo so much before, so I always feel this way. I just hope the show doesn’t go too horribly with just me by myself.” Freddy said, in a pessimistic tone. Bonnie grabbed his shoulders, making him look at him in the eyes.

“Whaddya saying, Freddy? You’re the lead singer! The kids love you! There’s no way your show will go horribly!” he said with vigor. Freddy’s eyes widened.

“Bonnie…”

“I’m darned sure that even if you mess up, your fans won’t ever stop cheering for you. And if they do, there’ll still be at least one person who’ll cheer you on. That’ll be me.”

Freddy couldn’t help but smile at his encouragement. Before Bonnie could let go of his shoulders, Freddy reached out and gave Bonnie a hug.

“Thank you, my friend. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Freddy said as he closed his eyes. Bonnie rubbed tenderly at his back with his hand. They separated soon after.

“Anytime. Now, go knock it out of the park, superstar!”

Freddy sang his song with more passion than he would ever have in his life, with a certain rabbit watching from the third floor balcony, smiling at him.

—

After a few hours of driving aimlessly, the sun started to rise. Freddy saw that his power was running low, pulled over and woke up Gregory, who was sleeping in the passenger seat.

“You’re going to get a crick in your neck if you sleep like that, superstar.” Freddy said to a sleepy Gregory, who was rubbing his eyes.

They soon opened the van’s hood, attached the jumper cables to the car battery and his ears, and charged him from the car. It took a good while, and soon after, Freddy was standing up again.

“Battery level: 100%. Estimated time until depletion, 11 hours and 59 minutes.” Freddy said as he listed off his diagnostics.

Gregory would never have imagined Freddy lasting more than one hour from the time they traveled together at the Pizzaplex. It took a good while to turn off the reduced power mode on Freddy at Parts and Service. Gregory was really scared from that, accidentally pressing a wrong button during the testing phase caused Freddy to lunge forward from his seat, almost like a reflex. Gregory almost cried after that, and Freddy was reassuring him with his soft voice.

Freddy turned to face Gregory.

“Shall we get going, Gregory? Did you want to drive today, or are you still sleepy?” Freddy asked him, with a tone of enthusiasm.

Gregory remembered last night about their talk with Bonnie, how Freddy almost seemed teary-eyed.

Before Freddy could get an answer, Gregory gave Freddy a hug. He wasn’t expecting one from him, so suddenly.

“Gregory, what is the matter?”

Gregory said nothing. Freddy gave in and placed his hand on top of Gregory’s head, slowly rubbing it. Gregory finally let go, and looked up at Freddy with a smile.

“It’s nothing. You can drive again. I’m still tired.” Gregory said. Freddy smiled, and the two returned to the van.

Gregory went to the back of the van to sleep in the bed in the back whilst Freddy continued driving. He would have to buy some food for Gregory at the nearest stop.

Freddy himself didn’t know what happens to robots after they are destroyed. It’s an intrusive thought that had never crossed his mind, but as he grew, and as his purpose changed, he found himself thinking more and more about what happens after decommission. After “death.”

And yet, even with the thought of “death” in his mind, Freddy couldn’t stop thinking about Bonnie.

“Are you watching me… Bonnie?”

“Gregory… You… are my… superstar…”

It was the Fazer Blast arena. Gregory was running for his life from the remains of Chica and Roxy. A S.T.A.F.F. bot caught him, the two broken animatronics hot on his tail, and his legs were burning from how hard he was running. He couldn’t even stop to catch his breath.

“Come in Gregory… Can you hear me…?”

His legs were running up the stairs as fast as they ever could.

“Turn them… against VANNY…”

The door shut behind him. The device on the desk was glowing a bright green. He looked out the window. 

He could see her ears bouncing up and down as she skipped. She was growing closer and closer. 

He couldn’t press the button.

It was when she opened the door when he finally made his decision.

“Disassemble Vanny!”

He pressed the button.

The S.T.A.F.F. bots immediately grabbed her arms. She was pleading for her life. Gregory didn’t want to watch. He quickly left her to her demise to find Freddy. He tried ignoring her screams as he ran out of the room.

On the floor of the Fazer Blast arena, lay a broken and decommissioned Freddy. Gregory called out his name. He was barely functioning, and his endoskeleton was exposed from the casing that was forcibly torn from his frame. Freddy looked at Gregory, who was on the verge of tears.

“Gregory… You… are my… superstar…”

Freddy placed a hand on Gregory’s head, before shutting down forever.

Freddy is shattered.

—

Gregory woke up crying and screaming. He was in the bed in the back of the company van. His tears stained the plain white sheet that covered him. His voice almost hurt from how loud his sobs were.

Immediately, he felt arms covering his entire frame.

“Gregory, what is the matter?! Are you hurt anywhere?!” a panicked voice asked.

Gregory opened his eyes to see Freddy, with a look of concern on his face. Gregory hugged Freddy tightly as soon as he saw him. Freddy was startled by his sudden embrace.

“Please don’t leave me, Freddy. Please don’t leave me…”

Freddy gently held him back, with care and understanding.

“Did you have a nightmare?” he asked tenderly.

Gregory didn’t respond, the only sounds he’s making are the quiet and choked sobs that are muffled in Freddy’s chest.

The both of them sat there in silence for a while, Freddy waited and waited until Gregory stopped crying.

“Did you want me to sing you a song?” Freddy asked, breaking the silence.

Gregory didn’t move, but Freddy caught his bated breath.

“I am the lead singer. I can sing any song you want.” Freddy said in a soft voice.

Gregory still made no sound, but Freddy could understand what his answer would be.

Freddy started to rock his whole body, while humming to Gregory.

“Oh, butterfly~

Don’t you hold on too tight.

Both of you know,

It's your time to go,

To fly apart, to reunite.

Wonders surround you,

Just let the walls come down.

Don't look behind you,

Fly till you find,

Your way toward tomorrow.”

“That is a song from Columbian origin. It was originally in Spanish, and I was able to translate and put it into words that you can understand. Did you enjoy it, Gregory?”

Gregory was asleep on his chest from where he was crying. Freddy smiled greatly at his sleeping form. He was pleased that he was able to soothe Gregory after he cried so hard and so loud. He didn’t know what was in that nightmare, but it would never matter as long as Freddy stayed by his side. He would resolve himself to quell any nightmares that boy would ever have.

And he would have a song at the ready to help him back to sleep.

“Maybe this disguise could help!”

Freddy was staring at the large size hoodie and sweatpants that Gregory was holding out. They were grayed and somewhat dirty. It seems like it was taken from a garbage can. Gregory was tired of going by himself into stores and having Freddy tell him what to do and what to grab from what little visibility he had, from the Fazwatch.

“I don’t know, Gregory. A hooded figure is surely more suspicious than a giant animatronic bear, wouldn’t you think?”

“What? Of course not! You could just say that you’re cold! It’s almost Fall, so it makes sense!” Gregory said.

“I’m still not sure.”

“Look, I scrubbed it clean! There were some holes, and I dunno how to sew, but I patched it up! Come on, put it on!” Gregory said with a smile.

Freddy finally gave in and put on the clothes that Gregory got him. The brown sweatshirt covered most of his upper body, except the hood was barely able to keep its shape from his hulking form. The legs of the blue sweatpants would normally sag on a normal person, but managed to cover Freddy’s legs down to his feet. From a first glance, no one would tell if Freddy was an animatronic.

Freddy looked at himself in a puddle. It rained the day before and the two were stuck inside the van all day. Freddy’s glowing eyes peered through the hood.

“Well, at least I LOOK normal enough. I still don’t feel too good about this, though.” Freddy said to Gregory, who didn’t seem to care about the little details, like large glowing eyes and a seven foot tall build.

“Just don’t look directly at anyone! And just keep walking! No one seems to pay attention to anyone else in public. No one paid attention to me, at least…” Gregory ended his sentence with a downtrodden tone. Freddy noticed immediately and put a hand on his head.

“Hey now, Gregory. I’m sorry for bringing up bad memories. I love the sweatshirt and pants, and I’ll use them to be careful in public.” Freddy consoled. Gregory replied with a smile.

“Good. It’s getting cold, so it would be natural for someone to wear a sweater in public.” Gregory said.

“Well, if it’s getting cold, then you should put this on.” Freddy replied.

Freddy lifted up his sweatshirt and opened his chest compartment. He pulled out a sweater from inside. It had the Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex logo on it.

“Here, one of your many souvenirs from the Pizzaplex. It should keep you warm.” Freddy said as he handed it to Gregory.

The sweater was a few sizes too big for Gregory, and the sleeves got puffy as they rolled up toward his wrists. Gregory felt warm, though.

“Thanks, Freddy.” Gregory thanked him with a smile.

“You are welcome, superstar. Now, let’s get you some food. Perhaps a trip to the grocery store?”

“I said it was safe in public, as in outside. That’s too dangerous.”

“Thanks, dad.”

Freddy got used to walking outside in public, learning how to duck away to avoid unwanted stares, with Gregory being his teacher. It took some getting used to, but Freddy can safely say he didn’t get caught once, but there was that time he accidentally made eye contact with a passing couple, the both of them got away before he could make any real attention.

Buying stuff at the store was the real challenge. Unless you were at a supermarket with self-checkout booths, you would be forced to interact with at least one person in the store. Supermarkets were also finicky with its customer population, where the amount of people in the store would correlate with the time of day. The later it was, the less people at the store. It was all a matter of getting caught or not.

It was one late afternoon and Gregory was getting hungry. Freddy was going to try and buy some food for Gregory. He felt bad for making the boy go into stores by himself and having to basically buy his own food. Freddy steeled himself to finally take some responsibility for him, and went into the small store to buy some food for Gregory himself.

The hoodie he was wearing could easily cover his large glowing eyes, and at the same time, still be able to somewhat make eye contact with someone. Of course, the bear was almost seven foot tall, so anyone could see his eyes if they were shorter than him, and that’s something that’s incredibly hard to work around.

The small strip mall store was practically empty, save for the bored looking cashier on the side. He looked to be in high school, and was busy scrolling on his phone to even look up. Freddy took this opportunity to inconspicuously pick up a meal for Gregory. He saw a plastic container containing several fried foods inside and quickly grabbed it. All that was next was to pay for it. The cashier seemed to not care at all about the tall figure walking around in the store.

He placed the container at the booth and the kid picked it up and scanned it without even looking away from his phone.

“Your total is $6.48…” he said with an uninterested tone.

“Kids these days…” was a thought that went through the animatronic bear’s mind.

Freddy took the card from his pocket (Gregory said it would look less weird than if he took it out of his arm) and inserted it into the small machine. It beeped, and the kid took the receipt and put it in the small black plastic bag and he slid it over to Freddy, all without looking at him.

“Have a nice day…”

“Thank you, you too.” a robotic voice replied.

Freddy walked out of the store before the kid could look up after his reply. Even if he had to play the game of stealth, being polite was almost second nature for the animatronic.

Gregory was kneeling outside fiddling with something, probably looking at the Fazwatch.

“Gregory, I got you some food.” Freddy replied once he was in his sights.

“Thanks, dad.” Gregory said without looking up.

It took a minute for the both of them to realize what he just said.

Gregory turned around after it finally hit.

Freddy gave him a very bright smile, and Gregory’s face was a very bright shade of red.

“Um, I mean, thank you, Freddy!” Gregory quickly replied, avoiding eye contact.

Freddy scooped him up in his arms, which was met with quick protests, and he quickly made his way back to the van, Gregory in tow. He placed the blushing boy in the passenger seat, whose face was tight with a pout, was flushed, and was almost red. Freddy smiled at the embarrassed boy sitting in front of him, as he placed himself in the driver’s seat.

“I hope you enjoy your food, kiddo.” Freddy said, ending his sentence with an almost teasing tone.

“Ugh! This is so embarrassing…” Gregory could only reply.

The boy opened the white plastic box. It had some chicken nuggets, and on the side was a variety of fried potatoes, such as fries, tater tots, and potato wedges. Gregory picked one up and ate it.

“…It’s greasy.” he said as he chewed. “I like it. Thank you, Freddy.”

Freddy rests an arm on the steering wheel.

“I’m glad you like it, superstar.”

Even though he wants to, Freddy would respect Gregory, and not ask about how he called him his father. Even though he thought about his conduct as Gregory’s guardian, he never once thought about how it would feel to be a father.

It’s an unnatural thought, yes. In normal circumstances, a paternal instinct would never appear in a machine like him. An animatronic like him had only one purpose, to entertain kids and help make money for some greedy company.

But after that night in the Pizzaplex, he found his friends possessed by some evil virus, and found himself protecting a child who was unfortunate enough to be left behind, and be caught in the conflict. He found himself miles and miles away from the place he was created, no, the place he was born.

And he would keep going, with Gregory by his side.

It’s night time after a few hours, and Freddy is driving. He looks over at the passenger seat. Gregory is asleep in the chair. His head, slumped on his left shoulder. Freddy pulled over.

After getting out of his side of the van, he went and unbuckled Gregory from the seat, and carried him over to the bed in the back of the van. Once tucked in, Freddy stared at his sleeping form. He put a hand over his head, gently caressing his hair. Freddy’s voice reached almost a whisper.

“I’ll wait. I will wait until you can call me that again.”

“Stop it, Mikey!”

The boy was crying out. He was clutching a Fredbear plushie. The older boy was wearing a Foxy mask.

“What’s wrong? Scared?” The boy taunted his younger brother.

They were in their living room. The older boy found a spider, and decided to play with his brother, if one could even call it playing.

“I don’t like it! Get it away!” The younger boy cried as his older brother laughed.

“Who are you gonna call? Mom? She’s gone you know! She left! You can’t call for her!”

The young boy just kept crying.

The older boy just kept laughing.

Suddenly, as the older brother blinked, his vision was red.

He saw his younger brother, covered in blood, face disfigured. It looked horrifically mangled.

He looked down at his hands, and they were covered in the same blood.

“Why…? Mikey…?” The broken boy feebly mumbled.

The boy took off his mask. For what seems to be the first time, he was the one crying.

—

Freddy exited rest mode with a gasp. His systems were shaken. It felt like he got electrocuted.

Gregory opened his eyes and rubbed them.

“Freddy? Are you okay?” he asked.

They were both in the back of the company van. Gregory was sleeping in the bed, and Freddy was reclining in the backseat, pulled over at what looks like a rest stop, the kind with the signs telling you to pull over if you need to text or call someone. Freddy finally regained composure.

“Y-Yes, Gregory. I’m okay. I just saw something… disturbing.”

Gregory tilted his head, inquisitively.

“You had a nightmare? Do robots even have dreams?” he asked. The bear could only shake his head.

“I don’t know, Gregory…” Freddy said, with a tone he’s never used before. He almost seemed… 

Scared.

Gregory got up from the bed, and went over to Freddy’s side. He put a hand on his leg, and looked up at him.

“You don’t need to talk about it. I had nightmares all the time, when I was younger. They stopped, but sometimes I still get them. But I know they’re not real, right?” Gregory explained. It almost seemed like the roles were reversed.

Freddy looked at the boy. He was real, and perfectly fine, in front of him. He put a hand on his head, and caressed gently.

“You’re too young to be putting on a brave face, especially for someone like me. I’m supposed to be the one protecting you, remember?” Freddy said, reassuringly. Gregory huffed.

“Brave face? I escaped countless robots that wanted to hurt me! I think that’s more than enough for you to call me brave! I can take on anything!” Gregory said with an inch of confidence. Freddy gave somewhat of a smirk.

“Boo!” Freddy quickly shouted, and grabbed Gregory’s shoulders at the same time. Gregory puts his arms up with a yelp. He then frowned soon after.

“That doesn’t count! You startled me! I’m still brave!” he whined. Freddy laughed.

“I know, superstar. And I’m proud of you. Thank you.”

It was still night, so Freddy ushered Gregory to go back to sleep. Freddy had enough power to last a few hours, and he thought it would be best to conserve his power and go back to rest mode, so he would not have to charge so frequently from the van’s battery. He was wondering if it would ever need to be replaced, with how often it’s used to charge the animatronic.

The thought wouldn’t leave Freddy, however. Who was that young boy who cried? Who was the mean older boy whom Freddy shared eyes with? What happened to that young boy?

Just who were they…?

Freddy quickly shook his head. It was a silly nightmare, as Gregory said. It wasn’t real. He knew too little to make any sense of it. He put it in the back of his mind.

But he would be lying if he said that it didn’t bother him.

NEW FACE OF FAZBEAR ENTERTAINMENT

It was one of those old newspaper stands that you have to insert a coin into to open. Someone must have forgotten to close it, because the lid was wide open, newspapers ready for the taking.

Normally, Gregory would never be interested in anything from a newspaper, but after one look at the picture on the front cover, it caught his attention immediately.

He looked around for a moment, no one was looking his way, and quickly snatched one. As he was speed walking away, the wind picked up and the lid was shut.

“Oops, someone’s gonna have to pay now.” Gregory thought.

It was a short walk back to the company van, where Freddy was. Gregory opened up the passenger side door, and sat in the seat in front of him. Freddy noticed the gray parchment rolled underneath his arm.

“What is that, Gregory? A newspaper?” his robotic voice asked. Gregory held it up to his face, and he took hold of it. His eyes briefly skimmed the article.

“What am I reading? New face of Fazbear Entertainment?” Freddy asked. Gregory leaned in to look closely at the article.

“Overnight, a quick decision was made by the executives behind Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex, to make Montgomery Gator, the bass player of the iconic band, to be the lead singer and mascot of the pizzeria. It is unclear of the whereabouts of the famous Freddy Fazbear, as he is nowhere to be seen in the captioned picture. A newcomer to the band, however, can be seen in the picture, going by the name of Glamrock Mr. Hippo, who plays his trusty triangle in harmony with his fellow robotic bandmates. As for the aforementioned missing bear, it could be speculated that he could’ve been replaced as a result of the faulty programming that caused him to malfunction and break down on stage. There are no clear answers to what happened to him, and there may be more clues after an interview with Fazbear Entertainment themselves.”

Freddy was deadpan for a few minutes, and Gregory fiddled with his fingers, with worry.

“Pfft…”

Gregory was startled by the sudden noise, he looked at Freddy, whose face could resemble a smirk.

“Pfffthahahahahahaha! A Glamrock Mr. Hippo? That’s priceless, right Gregory?” Freddy said in between hearty laughs. Gregory smiled.

“I, uh, think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you laugh that hard.” the boy remarked.

“Of course I laughed, that’s funny, right? Mr. Hippo! Part of the band!” Freddy was smiling in ecstasy.

Gregory was chuckling, not as much as Freddy.

“I didn’t think you would laugh at being replaced, Freddy.” he said as he looked at him expectantly.

Freddy looked at Gregory, and placed a hand on his head.

“I don’t mind being replaced. They can make a new me, make a new ‘Freddy’ if they want, I don’t care. I don’t care anymore. All I care about is you.” Freddy said, moving his hand to the boy’s shoulder.

Gregory felt his cheeks getting warmer. He looked up at Freddy, with a gaze that a kid like him couldn’t ever describe. It was a gaze that any normal kid, with a normal childhood, would be given at almost any point in their life. He could only smile at Freddy, who was giving him this gaze he never felt before in his life.

“Thanks, Freddy.”

“You’re welcome, superstar.”

—

It was a few hours later, after some driving, stretching, eating, when Gregory picked up the newspaper again, and reading past the cover. The headline of the next article made Gregory feel a pit in his stomach.

FAZBEAR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS STRANGE MONEY LOSSES FROM SAVINGS

“It’s only been a few weeks since the last report about the entertainment company Fazbear Entertainment, but the corporate released a statement announcing that there is confirmed to be some unofficial transactions made using money from the company. The charges themselves are miniscule in nature, but it is concerning nonetheless. It is unknown how these transactions are made, as information about Fazbear Entertainment’s savings are strictly confidential and restricted from being revealed. It could be speculated that their savings could be accessed via hacking, as it was recently revealed that there was a virus in the system database of Fazbear Entertainment. There is no clear answer at this moment in time.”

Gregory showed it to Freddy immediately.

“They’re onto us! They’re gonna find us!” Gregory said with a panicked tone.

“Don’t worry, Gregory. They haven’t found out where the transactions are being located. The Fazcard is unable to hold any money itself, it is connected directly to their savings. The card is essentially invisible.” Freddy explained, trying to calm Gregory.

It seemed to work, and Gregory’s breathing steadied. Freddy smiled at his calm face.

“No one is going to look for us. No one is going to take either of us away. We’ll stay together, as long as I am functional, and as long as you are breathing.”

“Promise?” Gregory asked, holding out his pinky. Freddy grabbed it on his own without a second thought.

“I promise. We’ll stay together, forever.” Freddy said. He then pulled Gregory in a hug.

This feeling was something special, it was not something they were ever familiar with. It could even be said that they have never felt it before this moment.

It was this moment that they could truly call each other family.

“What do you think would happen if they found that sinkhole?”

It was midnight, and the road was empty. They’ve been driving in for what feels like circles. Lots of turns and turns, twists and twists, and both in between. Freddy said that the Fazcard wouldn’t work if they left the state, so he thought it would be best to switch things up and take some turns. Maybe he was worried they might cross the state line.

“You mean, the establishment found below Roxy Raceway?” Freddy asked as a reply.

“Yeah. It was weird, wasn’t it? ‘Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place?’ I’ve never heard of that restaurant. It seemed… old.” Gregory commented, as he reminisced.

“There isn’t any restaurant by that name in Fazbear Entertainment’s databases. At least, not what I can see. Their history is under a tight lock and key.” Freddy replied.

Gregory frowned. It was disturbing, to say the least. That derelict pizzeria was covered in soot and burnt furniture. Not to mention…

“Do you remember seeing a giant blob of wires and heads?” Gregory asked.

“Yes, I do… I am unable to make sense of it. I saw many parts from animatronics. Let’s see…” Freddy said. A whirring noise could be heard from his face, perhaps his internal computer loading some memory. Gregory wondered what it would be like to be a robot.

“I remember… a Chica… Bonnie, a very old Foxy… A puppet… What is this? Circus Baby?”

Gregory looked in confusion. He wasn’t very familiar with the history of Fazbear Entertainment, so it might fly over his head.

“I saw a Funtime Freddy head. The data available to me says that both Funtime Freddy and Circus Baby are from a restaurant called ‘Circus Baby’s Pizza World,’ an establishment known as a sister location to the original Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.” Freddy explained. Gregory’s head was spinning.

“Where did that thing come from?” Gregory asked, clearly confused.

“I do not know. I don’t think the two of us will ever find out, on our own.”

Gregory was silent. Freddy was silent.

The drive was silent.

—

A hotel trip couldn’t hurt. Freddy felt that Gregory shouldn’t be consistently living in a van every day. He’s gotten more comfortable talking to cashiers at stores, it was surprising how little people actually question a giant robot bear buy stuff at a counter, at least, they haven’t been taking action against an animatronic walking around and acting like a human adult, with a child in tow.

The hotel room wasn’t as luxurious as the one a few weeks ago, but it was nice and quaint. Freddy brought some food earlier, from a drive through. The woman at the window asked, however. Freddy awkwardly explained that it’s a costume. That excuse wouldn’t always work, though.

Gregory and Freddy sat in front of each other in silence. Gregory was the first to break the silence.

“Do you know what that… thing was in the sinkhole?” Gregory asked. Freddy looked away.

“I do not know how I know. But I do.” Freddy said, in a grave tone.

“He was a serial killer. He murdered many boys and girls, with no rhyme or reason. He murdered them, and stuffed them in animatronics. He hid himself in a special type of animatronic that you can wear, but those aren’t used anymore. He’s the reason why. Because he died in one of those suits.” Freddy explained at length.

“He died? But then, he came back?” Gregory asked. The bear nodded his head.

“Yes. There is no exact explanation as to how, but he came back. The fact that we found him in that fake restaurant was deeply concerning.”

“What do you think would happen if they found that sinkhole? The Pizzaplex would shut down, right?” Gregory asked.

“That would be the case… The sinkhole itself is deeply concerning, but to find a serial killer living down there… That would explain the disappearances.” Freddy mused, a hand on his mouth, deep in thought.

“I wonder how Vanessa is doing…” Gregory asked. Freddy’s ears perked up, in attention.

“She was acting strange, indeed… I do not know why she was behaving in such a way… I do suspect that she was connected to Vanny.” Freddy said.

“You said you couldn’t see her, yeah? Maybe she was some master hacker, and was invisible! Because I definitely saw her.” Gregory replied.

“Ehehe, yeah, that could be true. But that’s enough speculation, superstar. We’re miles away from the Pizzaplex. It’s not our place to be investigating. Anything that happens there is not our business anymore. Now, let’s get to bed.” Freddy said as he ushered Gregory to bed.

It was strange indeed. Maybe things could have been resolved differently, had Gregory chosen to do something else. But the sinkhole beneath the raceway, the rotting animatronic, Vanny, everything. It weighed on his mind. He was wondering if he could have done things differently.

Maybe things could have gone for the better, but there was a chance it would be for the worst.

It was five o’clock in the morning. The sun was to rise in an hour. Freddy wanted to surprise Gregory with a view of the sunrise. He drove the van into the gate of a community park. There was a hill there with a tree, and it was said to be a great view of the sunrise in the morning. He parked, and got into the backseat to wake a sleepy Gregory.

“Wake up, Gregory! There’s something I want to show you!” Freddy said to him with a cheerful tone. Gregory rubbed his eyes.

The two of them walked away from the van. Freddy took the boy’s hand, and they walked up the path to the tree.

Gregory looked up at Freddy. His signature top hat was left behind in the van, after Gregory gave him his hoodie. The hand he was holding was green and purple, his eyes yellow. The only change made not visible was the voice box, which Freddy finally adjusted to.

The wind picked up. Both of their hoods flew down, revealing their heads. Freddy turned his head.

“Are you okay, Gregory?” Freddy asked, tenderly.

“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s not that cold.” he replied, hoping to ease his worry. Freddy turned and they continued walking.

Freddy was also lost in thought. He remembered his friends as the stage rose, the excitement of the audience could be heard from below the stage, he could still remember the feeling of their undulations. He remembered the feeling of being pumped up before every show. He remembered the sight of fans lining up at Rockstar Row, hoping to take a picture with him.

He remembered Bonnie.

The walk was longer than he expected. It was relieving that there was no one out at this time. It’s too cold for any morning joggers to be running outside. The hill was almost a short walk away, anyway.

The hill had a lone tree growing over the top. Its leaves yellow from the drop in temperature. Freddy sat down, and patted the ground next to him, ushering Gregory to sit next to him. Gregory followed suit, close to Freddy’s side. They both turned at the now yellow sky.

“It is now 6 AM, Gregory.” Freddy said, quietly.

The sun was beautiful. It was so nice to feel its warmth, after what seems like weeks of running, driving, and just staying hidden.

The two of them sat there for a while, basking in the sun’s glow.

“…Gregory. How do you feel… about me?” Freddy asked, in a hushed voice.

Gregory looked up at him. It was hard to find the words.

“I… I like you a lot, Freddy. You were the only one who ever looked at me in the way that made me feel… comforted. Everything was out to get me, except for you. I guess, what I want to say is…”

Gregory stumbled to say the words that were stuck in his throat.

“Thank you, Freddy. Thank you, dad.”

Freddy’s face held a smile that could rival the sun, with how bright it was. He instantly pulled Gregory into a hug.

“Thank you, Gregory. You’re the only one who could change my purpose in life. You’re the only one who could take me this far from where I was meant to be.” Freddy told Gregory, tenderly.

The two of them sat there, holding each other, until the sun rose completely. As the sun rose, the two of them taught each other the meaning of the word that escaped them for so long.

The word was family.