Chapter Text
Gregory had snuck into the Mega-Pizzaplex again, if only because it was somewhere to go. Somewhere to get out of the cold, somewhere to find half eaten food in trash cans. Sure, he had to be on the watch for security guards, because they'd notice he snuck in without paying the admission, and would toss him out. But it was better to be in here than in the alleyways of the city.
Tonight, though, was different.
Freddy himself had broken down while he was on stage, and in the commotion of it all, Gregory had hidden inside the animatronic's hatch in his stomach. After all, it was a place to hide. But when he was finally able to get out again, Freddy was in his dressing room on Rockstar Row. And it was past closing time. Now Gregory was trapped in the pizzaplex overnight. And when he saw the lady security guard pass, he got weird vibes from her. Like she wasn't just looking for him because it was her job and he hadn't paid to get in, but she had some kind of more sinister reason to.
Good thing Freddy seemed to be on his side. He had hidden him away in his room, and even given him his own Fazwatch so they could communicate at a distance if they were to get separated.
“It sounds like the security guard is coming this way,” Freddy said, as the two of them were hiding inside his room, trying to figure out how to get Gregory out of the pizzaplex. “If I were you, I'd find a place to hide in here until she's gone.”
“Geez, Freddy. Not so loud. The guard is gonna hear you warn me.” But he'd listened, and tucked himself behind one of the room's curtains when the guard came in.
But it wasn't the familiar blonde lady guard that he'd been getting weird vibes from. Instead, it was a male security guard he hadn't seen before. One that must have been recently hired. This guy gave him weird vibes, but of an entirely different type. For one thing, he needed a haircut, and he had pierced ears, neither of which seemed professional enough to be a security guard. Also, his ears were pointy, and he was weirdly short for an adult guy. It made him seem like he was an elf or something. Weird.
“Hey, Freddy, have you seen some kid around here?” the weird security guard guy asked. “Vanessa's been freaking out about how there's apparently a lost kid inside the pizzaplex right now. I'm pretty worried, because of all the suspicious stuff that's been happening around here. Like, nine kids have already gone missing since this place opened. And Fazbear Entertainment doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to that kind of thing. So I kind of want to find the kid as soon as possible, before...” He trailed off. “Yeah.”
“I am sorry, but I have not seen any kids around here. Perhaps you should go check the daycare. If I was a lost kid, I think I would hide in a ball pit, wouldn't you?”
“Good point,” the guard said. “I should think about what I would do if I was a lost kid sneaking into a pizzeria at night to try to find out why kids keep disappearing there. I mean, not that I've ever done that before or anything.” This guy was fidgeting like he was anxious for some reason. “If he's not in the ball pit, maybe I'll check the kitchens. He might want to steal food or something. Thanks, Freddy. I'll keep looking.” And then he left.
Gregory continued to hide for about a minute after the guard left, just to make sure he was really gone. Then, at last, he slid out from behind the curtain.
“I did not let him know where you were,” Freddy said, declaring the obvious.
“I know,” Gregory said. “Thanks. But now how am I going to get out of here?”
“There should be an exit in the loading dock. However, to get through to the loading dock, you will need a level four security pass. To get a security pass, you will need to find a security office. Perhaps it is best if you hide in here.”
“I can look for one of those. It's better than just sitting in here waiting to get caught.”
“Are you sure?” Freddy asked. “Now you will have two guards looking for you instead of just the one.”
“Yeah, but a moving target is harder to hit, right?” Gregory asked, trying to puzzle it out. “So if I move a lot, they won't find me as easily.”
“I suppose. But if you need me to help you, at any time, make sure you call me on your Fazwatch.”
“I'll do that if I have to.” Gregory nodded, and was about to leave the room, but then thought of something else and turned back. “By the way, what's with that other security guard? Not the lady one from before, but the one that just came in here. Is he an elf?”
“Why would he be an elf?” Freddy seemed perplexed.
“He's short and his ears are weird and he gives me weird vibes.”
“Elf vibes?”
“I guess so.” Gregory looked back out the window. “Crap, he's coming back. I gotta run. Bye!”
And he darted off out of Freddy's room and down Rockstar Row, ducking behind things as he needed to, to keep himself from being seen. Cardboard cutouts of characters, potted plants, trash cans, and child strollers were all fair game as things to hide behind and be sure he wasn't followed. He kept running until he reached the food court, where he finally felt far away enough to slow down. The guard hadn't kept up with him. In fact, it seemed like he really hadn't even tried to. Kind of suspicious.
However, after Gregory sat down at a table to relax for a few minutes and catch his breath, it seemed like one of the guards was catching up with him. He heard one set of footsteps coming up the stairs that led to the food court. And there was nowhere to hide here, except under a table, where he'd definitely be seen. There was only one thing to do: incapacitate the guard just long enough to get away. He ran over to a soda machine, and grabbed a cup, then filled it with a bunch of the pink lemonade Fizzy Faz. That way, when whichever guard it was got to the top of the stairs, he'd be ready. He poured the Fizzy Faz on the floor right there, so the guard would slip.
And the guard did slip, and land face down in the pink lemonade.
At first, it was hard to tell which guard it was. They were both about the same height, and blonde, with ponytails. But it wasn't time to wait and see who it was, as they clamored to their feet in the slippery puddle of Fizzy Faz. Gregory knew he had to get away, so he started running toward the other side of the atrium. He found out who it was anyway when the guard yelled after him.
“Gregory!” It was the lady guard yelling after him. “I know your name, you know. And I know you're working with Freddy to try to hide from me. This is not the night to be wasting my time!”
And then the guy guard appeared too, having followed the lady guard up the stairs, and also having slipped in the Fizzy Faz just like she did. But somehow he didn't fall down. It was like his reflexes were too good. He slid forward a bit, but then came to a perfect stop. Perfect reflexes? This guy had to be an elf.
“How did you manage that?” Vanessa was yelling at him now instead of Gregory.
He just shrugged.
“Not sure. But really, can you believe this kid? Pouring soda on the floor so we'd slip. I was never like that as a kid. I never gave anyone any attitude.” He paused. “Right?”
“How should I know?” Vanessa asked.
Well, it was perfect that they were bantering with each other, because it gave Gregory time to get away. Once again, he ran down the halls of the pizzaplex, ducking and weaving and hiding behind random objects to avoid them. There was a whole row of those little child strollers, and instead of hiding in the front one, he ducked in between and hid in the second. But the male guard was getting too close. He could see him out through the mesh covering of the stroller, and then realized that probably meant the guard could see him too. So he took the first stroller in front of him and pushed it as hard as he could toward the guard.
Then another freaky thing happened. The guard dodged the rolling stroller all too easily, by jumping to the side with extreme agility. Like, average people couldn't move like that. They just couldn't. Not to mention that he unsheathed a nightstick from his belt with those crazy reflexes and used it to knock the stroller aside. The stroller landed on its side and stopped moving.
“What was that?” Vanessa had now caught up too, and she seemed as mind boggled by the elf guard as Gregory was.
“I don't know. Just a reflex. You see something coming toward you like that, you knock it out of the way, right?”
“I don't tend to hit random objects. Where'd you even get a nightstick anyway? The pizzaplex doesn't supply those.”
“Um. I brought it. I figured it would be good to have.”
“Weirdo.”
Still, their bantering provided Gregory just enough time to escape and run down a different hall. Following that, he found himself in the west arcade. It was quiet in there, with most of the machines off. Only the dim neon lights lit the way as he passed an empty dance floor and rows of arcade cabinets. He turned a corner and found a smaller, unused hallway, with disconnected arcade cabinets and other stuff just lying around. It was almost entirely dark in this hallway, except for all the way at the end. There was a single arcade cabinet there, plugged in and hooked up. Its screen was lit.
“Princess Quest 2. Press start to begin.”
His curiosity got the best of him, and he went over to it and pressed the start button. He had never heard of this game, and wanted to see what it was. There had to be some reason it was the only arcade game that was on during this weird and creepy night.
However, the game wouldn't start.
“Enter the password you got at the end of Princess Quest 1,” the screen said.
Gregory pressed the button on his Fazwatch that let him communicate with Freddy.
“Hey, Freddy. I found an arcade cabinet that's up and running even though all the other ones are turned off. It's called Princess Quest 2, but it won't let me play it until I get a password by beating Princess Quest 1. Lame, huh. Where even is Princess Quest 1? Do we have it in here?”
“I am not sure where Princess Quest 1 is kept, Gregory. I have never actually heard of such a game before.” Freddy's voice came out of the Fazwatch.
“It's behind Roxy's salon,” came another voice. From directly behind Gregory.
It was the elf looking guard. How did he sneak up on him so silently like that? Gregory swore he would have heard this guy sneaking up on him, even if he was busy looking at Princess Quest 2.
“How'd you—crap! Damn it! Let go of me!”
“Some language you've got there for such a little kid,” the guard said. He'd scooped up Gregory by the collar and was holding him up. Gregory kicked and writhed, but somehow, he couldn't squirm himself out of this guy's grip.
“Watch who you're calling little, you—!” He tried to kick the guard in the shins. Unfortunately he missed. He grabbed his Fazwatch and pressed the button to talk to Freddy. “Freddy! Help! The weird elf guard got me!”
“Weird elf guard?” The guard scowled. “That's it, squirt. You're coming with me. I'm going to lock you in Lost and Found until morning. And you'd better stay put, or else.”
And that was that for Gregory. For now.