Chapter Text
The Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex had a raging fire that erupted in the sub-basement that needed to be put out before the entire complex went up in flames. Luckily, the smoke alarms that were installed throughout the building alerted the local fire and police departments. The complex itself had a working sprinkler system that used flame retardant chemicals, but none in the sub-basement. It was apart of Fazbear history that the company hoped to keep hidden for as long as possible.
While the fire department fought the blaze in the sub-basement, the sprinklers went off in the complex to keep the fire from spreading. The police collected as much evidence as they could, even though it appeared everything in the sub-basement was destroyed. They found the mangled remains of the Glamrock Animatronics near the area and confiscated the security footage to be reviewed later.
The police also detained two suspects caught fleeing the scene. A young woman and a child. Both were detain on suspicion of vandalism when they found the head of Freddy Fazbear in the backseat of their car. The charges might be upgraded to arson if they find any evidence of their involvement in the torching of the Mega Pizzaplex.
Once the authorities contacted Fazbear Entertainment of their findings, the company had to scramble to get their best lawyers to the police station. They needed to keep the suspects from saying too much or this situation was going to turn into a PR nightmare. They had spent years covering up the messes William Afton left them in. Years of misdirection and misinformation could be undone in one night. They can’t let that happen.
The police managed to hold the suspects for 48 hrs. before the lawyers insisted, they be let go due to lack of evidence. It would seem that the security footage was too damaged, full of static, and strange artifacts. Any physical evidence was lost to the flames and the chemicals used to fight it.
The suspects, Vanessa and Gregory, were released to the lawyer. The Freddy head was also returned since it was Fazbear property. The duo was taken to an undisclosed location where they awaited the arrival of an executive of the company.
Vanessa knew they couldn’t afford for her to go to prison and have her spill all of their secrets. She was also aware that they could make her disappear like the rest of their problems. And while she wasn’t worried about herself, the kid was a different story. Even though she wasn’t in her right mind, she still caused the disappearances of several children. She needed to atone for that somehow.
Gregory was just trying to protect himself long enough to escape the Pizzaplex. He just so happened to do millions of dollars in damage to the other animatronics in the process. That alone was going to send the company after him.
So here they were, sitting anxiously in a nice hotel with two guards standing outside the door. Whatever floor they were on was too high for them to use the windows to escape. The fact that they were being held and not killed gave Vanessa some hope that they could get out of this in one piece.
Gregory was exhausted. The poor kid curled up on one of the two large beds in the room and managed to fall asleep. After everything he’d been through, it finally caught up to him. If she couldn’t get them both to safety, she could negotiate a way out for him. It won’t make up for her part in what happened to the other children, but at least she could help him.
Within an hour of Gregory falling asleep, there was a knock at the door. A well dressed gentleman with glasses holding a large, brown leather suitcase walked into the room. He opened his suitcase and set down a stack of paperwork on the desk. He sat down and introduced himself as Mark Rider. A low-level executive of Fazbear Entertainment.
Just hearing that name put Vanessa on edge. She gently shook Gregory until he woke up. The child was groggy and rubbed at his eyes. It took him a moment to notice the businessman sitting at the desk. When he did, he was immediately on edge.
Mark pulled a piece of paper from the stack and began looking it over. He adjusted his glasses then glanced up at the two sitting across from him. His hazel eyes were sharp and calculating.
“The only reason you were let go is because of lack of evidence.”, he said matter-of-factly. “They couldn’t find anything on the security footage. Just the animatronics roaming around, Gregory, and a lot of static. How did you pulled that off?”
Vanessa glanced at Gregory, then back at Mark. She wasn’t ready to talk about this, but she had no choice. Her memory was a little fuzzy. Some days were a blur, but she remembered enough to satisfy Mark.
“I created a rabbit costume with a small, built-in EMP device. It would release a low level electromagnetic pulse that would keep me hidden from the cameras as well as the animatronics and S.T.A.F.F bots.”
“I see.”, Mark hummed. His expression remained neutral so it was hard to gauge what he was thinking. He glanced at Gregory and said, “Why were you there after hours?”
Gregory ran his fingers through his messy brown hair as he gathered his thoughts. He told them that he ran away from an orphanage and had been living on the streets for months. He was hungry and snuck into the Pizzaplex in search of food. He ended up hiding out in the building for a few days when Vanessa caught him.
“Hmm, please continue.” Mark took out a pen, a note pad and started writing. He listened as Vanessa and Gregory recounted the events that took place that night. He didn’t interrupt them and by the time they were done, he had written quite a bit in his notebook. He closed the book, placed it in the briefcase, and faced the duo.
“Let me not waste your time.”, Mark said bluntly. “Vanessa, you know you should go to prison for what you’ve done,”, he paused for a moment, “but you won’t. We also can’t let you go.”
“But why!?” Gregory's voice rang out in the quiet room. He had no idea what was going on and he was scared. What was going to happen to them?
Vanessa groused, “We know too much. They can’t take the chance we’ll tell what really happened and ruin the company’s precious reputation.”
“B-But, we won’t say anything. I promise!”, Gregory pleaded. He didn’t want anymore trouble.
Mark shook his head. “Sorry kid. It doesn’t work that way.”
“What are you going to do with us?” She put an arm around Gregory’s shoulders and pulled him close. No matter what happened, she would save him at least.
"Well, in the past, Fazbear Entertainment had no qualms burying something like this, figuratively and literally.” Mark adjusted his glasses before pinning the young lady with a cold glare. “Unfortunately, this approach only caused us more problems in the long run.”
The businessman pulled a folder from his briefcase and looked over a few pages. When he was done, he told Vanessa that the company knew she hacked into the Pizzaplex’s main database and uploaded a virus to the entire system. Said virus infected the animatronics as well as the S.T.A.F.F and security bots. The virus had wreaked havoc on their system and no one had been able to flush it out.
Vanessa grimaced. She knew exactly why they were having such a hard time catching it. The Glitchtrap Virus was practically alive. It lived to spread itself as far as it could in the system. Luckily, it couldn’t leave the intranet the company used to run the Pizzaplex. If it ever escaped that enclosed system, who knows how much trouble it could cause. Just the thought of that made Vanessa shudder.
She ran her hand down her face in exhaustion and sighed, “What do you want from me?”
“What we want is for you to work with the company to fix the problem you caused in the first place.”
“What?” Vanessa blinked owlishly. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Mark picked up a stack of papers and handed it to her. He sat back and watched as she read through the paperwork.
“You will work under the supervision of our technicians and programing staff. You’ll be closely monitored as you track down and help destroy the Glitchtrap Virus.”
Vanessa was shaking her head in disbelief. She was staring at a contract with a whole list of terms and condition she would have to abide by. She would basically be signing away her freedom to Fazbear Entertainment.
“If you cooperate,” Mark folded his hands in his lap and studied her reactions carefully. “You will be given a place to live with one of our company employees. There, you will be under their supervision and constant surveillance. You will also continue to see a therapist to help with your “Vanny” persona.”
“How do you know about that?”, she gasped.
“Even though your sessions were confidential, they were being recorded. Those recordings were given to the company when the psychiatrists either disappeared or were found dead.”
Vanessa stared blankly at the paperwork in her hands. She barely remembered speaking to those people. It felt like she sleep walked throughout those sessions. Their faces blurred together to the point where she couldn’t tell one person from another. It was frightening to think that could happen again. And then, there was the issue of Gregory.
“What will happen to him?” Vanessa's voice sounded hollow as she tilted her head towards Gregory. “What will you do with him?”
“Gregory will stay with you. The employee that will be monitoring you, will foster him. This way we can keep a close eye on you both.” Mark pulled out another sheet of paper and handed it to Vanessa. As she looked it over, Gregory took a peek. His eyes grew wide and he looked up at her, then back at Mark.
“Is this for real?”, Gregory gasped.
“Yes, this is real. You will also attend school as soon as the paperwork goes through.” Gregory scowled at that but Mark was having none of it. “You can either go to a school that will be close to Vanessa or we can send you off to boarding school. Your choice.”
“What about Freddy? Is-is he alright? Will I ever see him again?!” Gregory’s questions grew more and more frantic as time went on. He tried to get to his feet but Vanessa held him tight.
“Freddy is safe. His head was returned to Fazbear Entertainment.” Mark had the ghost of a smile on his face. “He will be rebuilt along with the other animatronics, in time. You will eventually see him again.”
From the look on the child’s face, Mark knew he had him hook, line, and sinker. Vanessa obviously feels some kind of responsibility for the boy. She might do anything for his well-being.
“Go to school, and in a few years, you can apply for an engineering internship with Fazbear Entertainment. You’ll learn how to maintain all of the animatronics, including Freddy.”
“What if I don’t accept your offer?” Vanessa narrowed her eyes at Mark. She recognized the subtle manipulation of the kid and hated it. They were giving her very little room to negotiate. Still, she needed to see exactly where they stood.
The well dressed man sat across from them completely still. It was hard to get a read on him. His head tilted at a slight angle so that the light reflected off the lenses. After a moment of silence, he leaned back in his chair.
“You both will be free to go. No one will stop you.” The coldness in his voice caused a shiver to run up her spine. “Although, anything could happen once you walk out that door. The world can be a dangerous place after all.”
Vanessa swallowed dryly. The message loud and clear. Mark said they were doing things differently, but the company was willing to make threats disappear. If she just had herself to worry about, she could go on the run, but she wasn’t sure how far she could get with Gregory in tow. After everything he’s been through, he needed to be somewhere stable. Someplace safe. She owed him that much.
“Gregory. If I, no WE agree to this, we’ll basically become Fazbear property.” Vanessa heard Mark clear his throat as though he was going to comment, but didn’t. “Are you okay with that?”
The boy stared down at his hands as if giving their situation some real thought. He wanted to make himself as clear as possible. This was a big decision and he didn’t want to screw it up.
“I know we can’t trust them, but I’d rather be with you than out on the streets, alone.”, Gregory confessed. He tried his best to get by on his own, but it was hard. He was just a kid after all.
“I’ll be with you in a real home! Sure I have to go to school, but he said I can join the engineering internship! I’ll learn how to take care of the animatronics!”, he said excitedly.
“I’ll get to spend more time with Freddy and,” a sudden feeling of guilt washed over him. He turned to Mark and said, “maybe I can help fix the others?”
“Gregory.”, Vanessa placed her hand on his shoulder. “You did what you needed to do to defend yourself.”
“I know but,” His eyes drifted from Mark to her. She could see the glistening of unshed tears. “It still doesn’t make it right. I spent the whole night lying to Freddy about his friends. When he finally found out, he sounded so hurt!”
“I need to fix this. Make things right…”, Gregory’s voice hitched slightly. He never wanted to hurt Freddy like that again.
Mark watched silently as the boy rubbed at his eyes. It was refreshing to see someone so young take responsibility for their actions. He would make sure to mention this in his report. The company could use someone like him.
Vanessa looked over the paperwork one more time. Everything Mark told them was apart of the deal. She didn’t see any hidden clauses or hard-to-understand legalese. It was a straight forward contract.
“I need a pen.” Mark reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pen. He handed it to her. She shuffled through the pages until she reached the last one. She signed, Vanessa A, in neat cursive and dated it. She hesitated for a moment but handed the contract back to him.
Mark took the papers and looked over her signature before placing the stack in the suitcase. After packing away the rest of the paperwork, he stood up, straightened his suit, and held out his hand.
“Welcome to the Fazbear Family.” Vanessa and Gregory glanced at each other, then back at Mark. With great caution, they both took turns shaking his hand. The deal was done.
“Get some rest. Your new lives start tomorrow.” Mark walked out of the room, leaving the two to contemplate their future. Vanessa really hoped she did the right thing.
-Five Years Later-
“Hello, my name is Angela Shore. I’d like to welcome you all to your first day of orientation!” A tall, slender woman with reddish-brown hair addressed a classroom of 20 people. She was there to greet them, go over company policies and sign the necessary paperwork needed to complete their enrollment in various positions they were applying for.
“As you all know, the Freddy Fazbear Mega Pizzaplex suffered a terrible fire a few years ago. The damage was so extensive, the facility had to be shut down.” Angela’s cheerful voice rang out throughout the classroom. “Fazbear Entertainment devoted a lot of time and money to renovating the Pizzaplex. In a few weeks, we’ll have a grand reopening and we are happy for you all to be apart of it!”
“Excuse me.”, a young man near the back of the room raised his hand. “I used to go to the Pizzaplex all the time as a kid. That place was nearly, fully automated. The robots practically ran the place. Now you’re trying to hire more people to work there. Why?”
Angela crossed her arms and leaned against a desk behind her. She mulled over the young man’s question. It did seem strange that a company that prided itself on their animatronic technology replacing human workers, would need more people employed at the Pizzaplex.
“While it’s true, the Pizzaplex can run itself, the company acknowledged that some customers aren’t comfortable with the lack of human interaction.”
She went on to explain that Fazbear Entertainment saw the restoration of the Pizzaplex as an opportunity to address these issues. They wanted to pull in more customers by presenting the Pizzaplex as a family friendly environment where humans worked along side the animatronics. This is why they are hiring greeters, people to man the gift shops, concession stands, restaurants, and security.
“Now, I need you to look over you packet. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Once you are done, sign where needed.”
Everyone silently went over their applications. It seemed to be pretty standard stuff. A few things stood out. It seemed that the company was offering a generous benefits package as well as hazard pay. Why on earth would they need that? There was also a pretty hefty Non Disclosure Agreement thrown in there as well.
“Um ma’am?” An older woman sitting near the front broke the silence. “What’s up with this NDA? And freakin’ hazard pay? I want to work the gift shop. How dangerous can that be?”, her tone extremely snarky.
Angela just smiled and said, “Well, you will be working around animatronics that can weigh several hundred pounds. Even though their safety protocols run continuously, accidents can happen.”
“As for the Non Disclosure Agreement, it’s company policy. We all had to sign one. Fazbear Entertainment is very serious about protecting their intellectual property from rival corporations looking to get their hands on company secrets.”
“I dunno. This is a bit much just to work in a giant mall.”
There were soft murmurs of agreement from around the room. Most didn’t mind the hazard pay. That was extra money in their pockets. The NDA was a different story. Fazbear Entertainment could legally screw them over so bad; it could take years to recover. This was overkill!
“Listen, I understand if this makes you nervous. You don’t have to sign the NDA, but you won’t be able to work for this company.” Angela gave the group a sympathetic look. “There is no shame in walking away from this. We won’t think less of you.”
More murmurs from the group before five people stood up and walked out the room. After a moment of hesitation, two more people got up and left. A total of thirteen remained to fill out their paperwork and hand it to Angela.
“Congratulations everyone! Now all we need to do is take your picture for your I.D and enter your names into our database and you’ll be official employees of the company. Welcome to the Fazbear family!”
“So, how did it go?” A portly older woman with short salt and pepper hair called out from across the hall.
“It went really well. I got a little worried when I read the NDA, but the pay is too good and I need the money.”
“That’s great! I’m so happy for you Emi.”
“Thank you, Rose! I start my internship tomorrow.” Emily smiled brightly. She fished her keys out of her pocket and unlocked her apartment door.
“Are you sure you want to do this, my dear? It seems like a drastic career change.”
“Yeah, I know.” With a few tries, she finally got the door open. As nice as Rose was, she didn’t feel like talking about this again. “But everything will be fine. You’ll see!”
Emily entered her modest, two bedroom apartment. It might not have looked like much, but she was proud she got the place on her own. A place that she wanted to keep because she had nowhere else to go. Thus her seeking employment with the famous Pizzeria chain.
On the outside, security guard seemed far removed from what she did previously, but it really wasn’t. She was used to working with people. Only difference is, she’d have to be more alert to potential dangers. That was something she was sure she could do, with practice.
The animatronics would take some getting used to. As far as she knew, she wouldn’t be working directly with them. That was a relief. She wasn’t afraid of them or anything. They were just very expensive puppets. Preprogrammed responses and the such. Clever programming that faked real time conversations like those spam phone calls that try to trick you into thinking you’re talking to a real person.
This shouldn’t be too bad. A little over a month of on the job, paid training with the company will earn her a security license. Just walk around and make sure no one tried to wreck the place. How hard could that be?
-The Next Day-
“Oh wow, this place is huge!”, Emily gasped. As big as the outside was, she should have expected this, but she hadn’t been here in quite awhile. It was truly massive on the inside.
As the small group passed through the turnstiles, they were greeted by a giant golden Glamrock Freddy statue striking a pose in the middle of the lobby. Palm trees flanking the statue seems so surreal. The floors were polished to such a sheen that they could see their reflection in the checker board, glassy surface.
“Good morning, everyone!”, a deep voice got the group's attention. It was the manager of the Pizzaplex, Paul Franklin. A tall, somewhat overweight man in a well fitted suit. “Welcome to the Mega Pizzaplex.”
“Today is the first day of your security internship.” He gestured towards a young woman standing nearby. “This is the chief security officer, Vanessa A. She will be showing you around the Pizzaplex.”
“Good morning.” She was a little shorter than Paul with long, blond hair tied up into a ponytail. With her arms crossed and a stern expression, her green eyes roved over the group wearily.
A robot rolled up to them and gave everyone a map. Just looking at it made Emily nervous. She could see herself getting lost in here. That would be so embarrassing.
Vanessa said with an amused grin, “Don’t worry about trying to remember everything today. You’ll have a week to memorize the map.” She went on to explain that not only did they need to know their way around, but a customer might need help as well.
Paul chuckled, “Even when they have a map, someone will need help finding their way around.” He clapped his hands. “You’ll need to be friendly and helpful. Doing otherwise would reflect poorly on the company.”
‘Don’t make Fazbear Entertainment look bad. Got it.’, Emily thought anxiously. ‘Yeah, no pressure. Thanks boss!’
Paul pointed out the Glamrock Gifts to one side of the lobby and the entrance to the Superstar Daycare on the other. He instructed Vanessa to take the group to the daycare first. The CSO told them to open their maps and to follow her. The tour was about to begin.
They passed a smaller security office that doubled as a Lost and Found and headed around the corner and down a long hall. Superstar Daycare was painted in gold lettering on the wall. There was posters of the Glamrock gang in the corner as well as banners of the daycare attendants, Sundrop and Moondrop, hanging near the gift shop. Both cheerfully smiling down at them.
As they got closer to the large double doors, Emily noticed the Daycare was enclosed by a wall of thick glass with tables and chairs set up nearby. The glass was slightly tinted but she could make out large blocks, toys, and stuffed animals. The Daycare was quite impressive.
Vanessa reached a set of large wooden doors. She pressed a bell on the wall, but they didn’t hear anything. A few moments later, there was a soft click and the door cracked open. The group was startled to see a large, round head poke out. The head was surprisingly flat with sharp points that stuck out around its circumference. It looked like a classical sculpture of the sun with a half moon face. Its eyes were completely white and its grin was huge.
“HELLLO!”, their voice was loud and slightly tinny. “Oh wow, look at all the new faces! Are you here to check out the daycare? Are you here to register your children? It’s a little early for that since the Pizzaplex won’t be open for another week. Oh, I know! You should speak to the manager! He’s a really nice guy."
The animatronic continued to talk nonstop for a few more seconds before Vanessa waved her hand in their face. The robot grew silent and their head did a full rotation before clicking to a stop. It was only then did they focus on the woman standing in front of them.
“Good morning, Officer Vanessa! How are you today?”
“I’m fine Sun.” Vanessa waved towards the group. “I brought some new recruits to meet you.”
“OH, HO HO! NEW FRIENDS!”, Sun said excitedly. Maybe it was Emily’s imagination, but she could have sworn his smile grew wider.
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Sun and I’m the daycare attendant! It’s a pleasure to meet you all!” The animatronic waved at them enthusiastically. They waved back. There were bells and red ribbon tied to his wrist. It made a pretty jingling noise.
“Have you come to check out the daycare? Would you like a tour? I’d be happy to show you around!-”
This whole conversation was being held through the partially opened door. Emily thought it was strange that he didn’t open it wider or stepped over the threshold. Maybe he was doing something inside he didn’t want them to see.
“Not today Sun.”, Vanessa sighed.
“Oh.” The animatronic visibly deflated. His rays retracted slightly into his head and he tapped the door with the tips of his fingers. His reaction was oddly human. Clever programming indeed.
She continued, “They will come to see you on their own time. We need to move on, but before we go, tell them the rules of the daycare.”
“Sure thing!”, Sun perked up. “One: When I’m watching the children, the lights must stay on…on…ON!” He pointed at the group menacingly.
The change in attitude near the end caught the group off guard. It sounded vaguely threatening. Vanessa didn’t seem to flinch at his odd tone, so it must not be a big deal.
A flash of red drew their attention to Sun's hand. The bells jingled again as he pointed to something above the door. There appeared to be an unlit, neon sign with the word, “NAPTIME”, on it.
“And two: When the lights are off and this sign is on, the naptime protocol is in effect. Moon will be in charge.” Sun tapped the sign with the tips of his fingers. “Children need their rest and he takes naptime seriously. Therefore, only an authorized parent or guardian, the manager, and Officer Vanessa are allowed inside during that time. No one else may enter the Daycare unless it’s an emergency!”
That seemed reasonable. No one wanted to disturb the children while they slept. These rules were in place to keep them safe as well. They should be easy to follow.
“Please follow the rules. If you do not, you will become rule breakers. And rule breakers will be-“, Sun’s voice trailed off into something that sounded akin to white noise. His points seemed to retract slightly before his head did a full rotation, then clicked to a stop.
“Ah haha, y-yeah,” his nervous laughter put everyone, except Vanessa, on edge. “Just don’t break the rules! That’s it! Simple, right?”
The group gave each other worried glances. These rules weren’t particularly difficult and yet, the animatronic’s reaction seemed to say otherwise. In the end, they all anxiously agreed.
“This is very important! Do you all understand?” Vanessa gave the group a stern glare. The group was wide eyed and nodded vigorously. She huffed and turned to Sun, thanking him for his time.
“No problem, Officer Vanessa!”, Sun shouted as he did a mock salute. He made a silly face as the bells on his wrist jangled loudly. This completely ruined the seriousness of the previous conversation. The CSO shot him an annoyed glare.
Emily giggled and quickly covered her mouth with her hands, but only succeeded in getting the animatronic’s attention. He winked and did a finger gun motion in her general direction. She blushed when the others glanced her way.
“Make sure you all come back to see me! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Good luck on your tour everybody! Okay, BYE!” Sun gave the group one last energetic wave, ducked his head back through the gap in the door and shut it behind him. There was a loud click, then silence.
‘Well, that was interesting.’ Emily wondered if all the animatronics were as quirky as Sun. If so, the programmers deserved an award. She couldn’t imagine all the work that went into making their mannerisms so convincing.
Vanessa mumbled something under her breath and started to walk away. The group followed close behind. They left the Daycare and headed for the Atrium. She told them that they could reach all the attractions in the Pizzaplex if they start here. Finding their way around would be a little easier if they used the Atrium as a starting point.
The group followed Vanessa. She told them about the stage the Glamrock Animatronics used to give performances. It rose up from the basement area a level or two below them. There were doors marked ‘Utilidoors’ that lead to tunnels that ran throughout the complex. S.T.A.F.F. Bots and technicians can often be found down there.
As they took in the sights of the Pizzaplex, it dawned on Emily that this place was bigger than she thought. She was definitely going to need a good pair of walking shoes.
The group made their way to the First Aid Station. It was a large room with all types of medical equipment, an exam table, and a portable defibrillator on the wall. CSO even told them they had a full time nurse and a doctor on call. That was a bit much for a mall, but she said they needed to be prepared for anything. That seemed worrisome and before anyone could voice their concerns, Vanessa was already moving on.
She walked them through most of the attractions fairly quickly. They went from a laser tag area, to a nice miniature golf course that was themed like a bayou, and a cool, wild west themed racetrack on the second floor. There was even an indoor maze! This place had a little bit of everything. No wonder it was so popular.
They finally made their way down Rockstar Row. It held the Green Rooms. Basically, the rooms where the Glamrocks recharged and took pictures with the guests. Speaking of which, the animatronics were heading to their rooms, but took the time out to introduce themselves.
“HI, I’m Chica! Nice to meet you all!” The perky chicken waved to the group. She seemed nice.
“I’m Roxanne.”, the wolf animatronic flicked her silver hair over her shoulder. She looked them over and sniffed derisively. “We’ll get along just fine as long as you stay out of my room.”, she sneered.
“Well, looks like we got some fresh meat for the grinder!”, growled the robotic gator. He smiled, flashing his rows of very sharp teeth. He tilted his sunglasses and stared down at the group. It was like he was studying them. All of a sudden he snapped his jaws shut and caused the small group to jump.
“Stop it, Monty! You’re scaring them.”, the animatronic bear scolded his band mate. The gator just laughed and said he was just messing with us.
“Bwahaha, Freddy, did you see the looks on their faces? They actually thought I was going to bite them!” Monty rolled his eyes and fixed his star shaped sunglasses.
“You can be such a jerk sometimes!” Chica crossed her arms and glared at Monty. He threw his head back and laughed heartily.
“Yup and I’m lovable enough to get away with it.” Monty winked at her.
The chicken and gator started to argue while the bear tried to break it up. The wolf leaned against the wall and shook her head. She called them immature and that they were embarrassing themselves in front of the new recruits.
“Sorry about that.”, Freddy sighed, then gave them a soft smile. “Anyway, welcome to the Mega Pizzaplex. I look forward to working with you all.”
Freddy shook their hands. They all noticed how large his hands, or paws were compared to their own. In fact, all of the animatronics were pretty tall. They had to be between seven to eight feet tall!
“Alright everyone, let’s head to the main security desk. It’s just down the hall.” As they left Rockstar Row, Vanessa told the group they should get used to the Glamrocks arguing. They tended to do that a lot.
Emily thought that was a strange thing to program into a machine. She supposed that made them seem more human. Thus, making them more relatable. She had to admit, it was working.
The main security office was quite large. It multiple screens set up in a half circle around a large desk to monitor the different areas of the Pizzaplex. The desk had a sizable control panel full of switches and dials. There was also a tablet that could access the cameras as well as information on various things in the Pizzaplex.
Vanessa told them that they were to return to the Pizzaplex the next day at 11am to receive their uniforms and Faz-watch. This special device will be used to give them their assignments as well as communicate with herself and other guards. It could even be used to alert security bots of trouble around the complex. Because the watch is synced to the Pizzaplex’s systems, most functions will not work far from the building. They are encouraged to leave the watch in their assigned lockers and not take them home. If they lose or damage it, it will come out of their pay.
The CSO gave them a quick rundown of the camera system with the promise to go over it in more detail over the coming week. She will get them ready for the grand reopening. Things will get a little hectic for the first few days and that she will prepare them the best she can.
After Vanessa was done, she dismissed them. Emily said goodbye to her fellow coworkers and headed for her car. As she drove back to her apartment complex, her phone rang. It was her sister, Valerie.
Emily smiled and put her on speaker. “Hey Val!”
“Hey Emi! How did it go?”
“I think it went well. I have a week to familiarize myself with the place.” Emily tapped the steering wheel. She told her sister how big the Pizzaplex was and she joked that she might get lost.
“Nah, you’ll be fine. If you get lost, just give me a call. I’ll come find you!”. They both had a good laugh at that. Growing up, they always looked out for one another.
“Hey Emi?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m proud of you.” Emily didn’t say anything but gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I know it’s been hard, but I’m glad you’re finally putting yourself out there again.”
“Well, I didn’t have a choice.”, she loosened her grip and flexed her fingers. “I needed the money or I’d be out on the street in less than a month.”
“You know, you can come and stay with us.”
“I know.”, Emily sighed. This wasn’t even an option for her. “I don’t want to impose, plus you need to take care of the munchkin.”
Valerie chuckled and said, “Speaking of the munchkin, she can’t wait to spend the summer with her favorite aunt.”
“I’m her only aunt.”, Emily deadpanned.
“Still doesn’t change the fact that you’re her favorite!”, her sister chimed in.
“Yeah, yeah whatever.” Emily rolled her eyes but smiled. She loved her niece and was looking forward to her visit. They were still in mid spring and she hoped to make enough money at the Pizzaplex to do some nice things with her over the summer. Hopefully, she’ll get a more flexible schedule just for the summer months, then she can work full-time afterwards.
“I’m going to warn you; Molly starts first grade this fall. She’s super excited and will talk your ear off about it.” Emily could almost hear the pride in her sister’s voice.
“Wonderful.” The playfully sarcastic tone in her voice caused Valerie to giggle. They both knew she didn’t mind spending time with her niece. Her sister wanted to make sure she was still up for it, but Emily assured her that it was fine.
“Don’t worry Val. I’ll make this a summer she’ll never forget.”