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Gregory looked at the claws in hand. “He… He registered me as a threat, I think,” Gregory mumbled. “But we can at least borrow the spare parts for a while!” Gregory smiled, trying to lighten up the expression on Freddy’s face. “There’s a box of replacement claws for everyone. You didn’t have to-” “Sorry, I didn’t realize. But now he won’t be as big of a threat!” Gregory reminded, giving Freddy a slight push to convince him to swap it.
It was an easy procedure, and when Freddy walked out, he was practically brand new. “I hope you can fix them,” Freddy lamented, holding his new hands out in front of him. “Gotta take what you can get, Freddy. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Your friends are super durable for some reason.
“Who else may be going haywire? Other than Monty and Roxanne, that is,” Gregory asked, crawling in to the chest cavity.
“Chica has been acting strange for the past few months. Do you think…” Freddy trailed off, not wanting to think of what may happen. “I won’t intentionally hurt her. None of this was really my fault, I promise!” Gregory anxiously reminded.
“Freddy…” a voice croaked, one that didn’t belong to Gregory. “I hear a voice,” Freddy said, scanning the room. “I don’t. C’mon, let’s go find that chicken,” Gregory said.
“Your parents want you to come with me! We have pizza and cookies for you! You’ll love it,” Chica called out. “That’s… Definitely not her. She was practically made to eat healthy. That’s why her face is plastered over the salad bar,” Freddy mentioned. “Weird. Do you think it’s Vanny doing this?” Gregory asked, pushing the cavity door slightly open to see the chicken.
“After seeing her for myself, I think so. We should find her while we still can,” Freddy said, scanning around.
A strange purple aura coming from Fazer Blast… That had to be it. “That’s where her hideout is too!” Gregory said, hoping that this can finally be over. One last glance at the strange chicken, and they were off. They were going to put an end to this mess.
Bursting through the Fazer Blast doors, Freddy looked up at the center to see exactly who he expected. “I can see you now!” he bellowed. He was glad this was meant to be his attraction. He had maps of the place ingrained in his system. He knew every quirk and every hiding place. He had the upper hand.
Freddy was quick to stand in front of her. He may not be the fastest, and he was meant for a different kind of security, but he was ready to protect Gregory. He was ready to get his friends back.
The only thing holding him back was the bridge. It wasn’t designed to hold robots, only children. If he stepped out, he risked falling. While that wouldn’t be a problem normally, the S.T.A.F.F. bots below didn’t exactly look friendly.
“Enough is enough,” Gregory yelled through Freddy, “we played your game, and we won. Show us your face, you coward!”
The rabbit laughed with glee. “Alright. I’ve had good fun with our little game, Gregory,” she said, yanking the mask off by the bunny ear.
“Officer Vanessa,” Freddy breathed. “Are you really surprised? Be honest. I want to know. It’ll stay between us of course, because I’m afraid you won’t be making it out alive!” Vanessa smiled, clasping her hands together.
“Now then. The final round,” she said, tapping a button. “Bring me that vermin,” she said, slinking back away from the bridge and around the side of the large barrier. She was trying to escape.
“Gregory, it’s not really fair that you get to have a buddy. But that’s okay, I have one of my own,” Vanessa said, her voice echoing over the area.
“Gregory!” a shrill voice called. “Chica,” Freddy said, spinning around to scan for her. Chica was the one who stood a threat now. Freddy instinctively stepped back as the chicken limped closer, one step forward, then one step back.
“I can’t hurt my friend,” he whispered to Gregory, watching Chica from inside. She was on the bridge. “Freddy… Freddy, stomp on it!” Gregory commanded. His suspicions were correct. There was only enough room for one.
The single stomp sent her down in to the crowd of mangled S.T.A.F.F. bots, and gave the duo enough time to chase after Vanny. “She has to be up in the security office. I don’t understand how I could’ve missed this,” Freddy sighed, running up the other paths, stairs and bridges to get to her.
Throwing the door off its hinges, Freddy’s 6 foot frame towered over her. “I don’t care what my programming tells me to do. I’m telling you now that if you don’t run now, you won’t ever run again,” Freddy said, his voice low and harrowing.
Vanny backed up against the glass window. “Fine. This place isn’t worthy of him anyway,” she spat, jamming her elbow on the window behind her. As it shattered in to small fragments, Gregory watched as she backed up further, glass falling on to her suit as she displaced it with her body.
“Is she…” Gregory began to ask, but he wouldn’t believe it. “Shut down. We’re going somewhere else,” she said in to a radio, then fell backwards.
Gregory scrambled out of Freddy’s chest cavity, pulling him to the window to see if they had a corpse to deal with too. Instead, she landed with a spring on the deformed S.T.A.F.F. bots’ arms, then they crumbled beneath her, almost as if the weight of her dislodged the grime still holding them together.
Rising to her feet, she dusted her seat off, and held her head up high as she left. “She’s running,” Freddy said, looking straight at a wall. Gregory felt as if the weight of the world had lifted. “I suppose it’s time to fix the wreckage,” he sighed.
Several hours later, he had finally finished. They put the real Chica back together, gave Roxy her eyes back, and even reattached Monty’s torso. He had definitely overstayed his welcome now. The doors had been open all day, but it felt like he had to fix them. All that was left now was to turn them on.
“Freddy! I can see you!” Roxy cheered, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Wouldya look at that…” Monty smiled, stretching out his fingers in front of him, turning his waist as if he was stretching.
“I’m back!” Chica squealed, hugging herself while spinning around in a circle. “Thank you so so so much!” she smiled, squeezing the lights out of Gregory.
“I-It was nothing. Don’t worry,” Gregory said, trying to hold back a hint of sadness. He didn’t want to go, but he was done here.
“I wanted to try and fix Bonnie… But I didn’t find him,” Gregory sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. “Don’t worry, kiddo. He’s been out for a while. He was the first to… I guess get infected?” Monty said, tapping his chin with a claw.
“Some things can’t be fixed,” Roxy said, scruffing up his hair. “Let’s all go celebrate! I know I wouldn’t normally say this, but I think a nice big pizza for us all is in order! We can get cookies, or a cake, or a fruit pie, or-” “Gregory, are you sure this is Chica?” Freddy teased, a wide smile on his face.
“Ha. Ha. Let’s go though! The kid deserves it,” she said, linking arms with Monty and Freddy. “Kiddo, maybe you should stay behind. Don’t want to spoil it, yeah?” Roxanne said, bending down. Then it hit him. He shouldn’t go. He would ruin it. And he would just end up hurt.
The boom of thunder solidified his decision. “Yeah, you go on ahead,” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He had definitely overstayed his welcome. He had to leave.
The moment Roxanne was out of the room, he glanced one last time at his Fazwatch. “Bye Freddy,” he said, staring at the screen. Slipping the watch off his wrist, he left it on the table and slung his bag over his shoulder. He didn’t belong here. It was time to go.
“Freddy, you have a new message, we all heard the ding. Who’s it from?” Chica asked. “Oh, it’s from Gregory. He said goodbye,” Freddy said, smiling at his chest cavity.
“He said what ?” Roxanne barked, dropping the pan of pizza and sending it skidding across the floor. “Goodbye?” Chica asked, staring at the cavity, almost expecting him to pop out right there.
Monty stayed quiet, staring at the floor. Roxanne knew he was processing as well. He was always quiet when he was processing, it was part of his security measures. That way he wouldn’t put anyone in more danger.
Roxanne cleared her metal throat, and took a long, deep breath. “Freddy. Are. You. Crazy?! You can’t just let the kid go! He is not safe out there, that much is obvious! Monty and I are both going off right now, and I bet Chica would be too if she actually got to see the kid for more than five minutes!” she snapped.
“You’re lucky you’re a big teddy bear,” Monty grumbled, and even if it sounded like a threat, it was more of a reminder of what he was made for, and to consult others too.
Roxanne and Monty looked at each other for confirmation, then cracked their metal knuckles. They had a rescue mission to complete. But as for Chica… she wasn’t looking so well.
Roxy furrowed her brows, folding her arms across her chest. She nodded to Monty, telling him to search around for anything that may help. “Chica… Don’t worry about it. He’ll be back, you’ll get to see him for real, and… Freddy, be nice to Chica. I’ll be back soon,” she said, squeezing Chica’s hand before following after Monty.
“We can’t go out in that, Roxy,” Monty reminded her. “You remember the last time…” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t look away from the door, observing the pouring rain. It was dark. The occasional flash of lightning made her almost flinch, but she managed to lock her limbs in place, so it only eerily illuminated her. The white against the soft hues of purples and blues was a stark contrast.
“We have to.”
“ We can’t. We weren’t made for leaving here, much less leaving in a rainstorm. Are you even at full battery? You know you can’t last long,” Monty reminded her. He meant well, and she knew that, but every word felt like an insult to her abilities.
“Look, maybe you don’t have the guts, but I’m going out!” Roxy said, pushing through the glass door.
The wind was pulling at her hair, and she made a mental note to tie it back next time she had to go on a rescue mission. She had yet to step out from underneath the covered patio, and she wasn’t sure if she could.
She didn’t see any distinct heat either. Gregory was either out of range, or absolutely soaked. But this didn’t mean she would give up. She had to find that kid.
She was scared, and she was ashamed of that. But she was the fastest. She was built to sustain damage. She was the one who could howl out his name, hoping that he might understand that he needed to come back.
“Gregory!” she yelled. No response… She could wait. Still nothing. “Fine. You leave me no choice, kid,” she muttered.
Running through the rain, she felt her weight shift from side to side as her stabilizers did their best to keep her upright. “You better come out, kid!” she screamed, a hint of distress seeping through. She had to find him, and fast.
“Gregory!” she called, balling up one of her hands, ready to punch a wall. She couldn’t last much longer, she had to make the return trip somehow.
The groan of a small child made her ears perk up. “Roxy?” the child mumbled. Roxy scanned for the noise, positive that it came from the alleyway, but unsure of where in it.
“Gregory… Wave your arm, or something. I can’t see your heat map, it’s all a mess,” she said, taking a slow step in to the alleyway.
A flash of movement, and a snap of the head. There he was. Curled up in a fetal position, his only protection a flimsy cardboard box. Roxy felt her hand reach up to clasp in front of her chest. “Goodness, you poor thing. Why didn’t you stay with us?” she said, pulling the tired child from his nest. “Alright, get up here,” she said, holding him against her slick plastic with one arm. “Got anything to bring?” she asked. “Just… Just the bag,” he replied, pointing his thin finger at the soggy duffle.
“Alrighty, I’ll get that too,” she said, holding Gregory closer. If she could just get her heater to kick in, she would be set. Holding the bag under her other arm, she walked out of the alleyway as if it wasn’t raining at all. Of course, she still had to hurry, but she had precious baggage this time. She had to keep him safe.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you back safe. Just… Don’t fall asleep, and hold on to me as tight as you can,” she said, knowing her strength alone couldn’t keep him up. She was built too linear, nothing to hold him up.
Setting Gregory down in the doorway, she pushed him in to the doorway before shaking off all the water. Holding her head in her hands to reorientate herself, she smiled. “Go on in, kid,” she said, lightly pushing him ahead.
“Roxy… Why’d you come for me?” he asked, ignoring her request. She pushed the door open, and pushed him through it, before answering. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m the den mother around here, no pup left behind,” she smiled.
“The real question, Gregory, is why did you leave?” she asked, pulling him over to Glamrock Gifts for a dry shirt.
“I, well…” he looked down at his beat up sneakers, unsure of how to answer the question. “Me or Freddy? Hm, definitely me,” she mumbled, ripping the hanger out from inside the shirt and tossing the ball of fabric back at him.
“I don’t know,” he shortly replied. “That’s a lie and you know it,” she said, glancing back just in time to see how thin he was. She could see his ribs. Chica would go nuts.
Looking down at the raceway shirt, he sighed. “I just figured I wasn’t needed anymore,” he admitted. “Well, honey, you aren’t needed. We have robots for any duty imaginable. But you are wanted,” she said, crouching down to his height. “I’ve seen a lot of kids in my days here, but never have I seen a kid like you. Had the guts to run me over! And face me even after that! You’re a special pup. We want you to stay here,” she said, placing a paw on his shoulder.
“Roxy, are you talking to yourself again?” Freddy asked. She turned to Gregory, asking for permission. He nodded.
“I’ve got the kid,” she said, stepping back to give Freddy the chance to give him a bear hug.
“Gregory, we’re so glad you came back,” Freddy said. Roxanne smiled, happy too. She wouldn’t admit she got all soft on him to anyone else, but she could admit she missed him too.
“Freddy, you’re squishing me!” Gregory laughed. “Good,” Roxy remarked, folding her arms. He needed to be squished, he needed exposure to Freddy’s heaters. He needed to feel safe.
He deserved to feel safe. He deserved to have a happy home.
“Love ya, kid,” she said, joining in on the group hug. She was the new den mother, and she wasn’t going to stop keeping him safe till the day she deactivates. He was worth it.