Chapter Text
“Cassie!”
Gregory cautiously peeked out from the curtain of the photo booth, making sure no one was nearby. He then returned to using his Freddy themed walkie talkie.
“Cassie! Do you read me? Over.” Gregory whispered.
Gregory’s legs bounced up and down out of restlessness. It was midnight. Maybe Cassie had already gone to bed.
Gregory was about to begin thinking of another plan when the sound of static rang out.
“Huh…? Gregory…?” Cassie’s tired voice came through the walkie talkie’s speaker.
“Cassie! Oh thank goodness.” Gregory sighed in relief, “Listen, I have a big favor to ask.”
Cassie scoffed, “Bigger than waking me up at midnight when I have school tomorrow?” Even groggy, Cassie still managed to retain a semblance of her sassiness.
“No, I need you to use your dad’s keycard to get into the Pizzaplex.”
“...what?”
Gregory sighed, this time not in relief but out of desperation, “I know I know, it’s a big ask, but-”
“You’re at the Pizzaplex right now?” Cassie questioned, her voice now sounding fully awake.
“Yeah” Gregory began, “I know it was a stupid idea, but I thought I could just hide out here and everything would be fine. I mean I do it just fine during the day.”
“Well, during the day there’s also hundreds of other people to blend in with.” Cassie countered.
“Right, which is why I need you to get me out of here before I get caught.” Gregory explained, “All the doors have been locked, so I need you to open it from the outside.”
“Why? Worried that the security guard is secretly a serial killer or something?” Cassie joked.
Gregory peeked out of the photo booth once more before continuing the conversation, “No, don’t be ridiculous. There’s security bots patrolling everywhere. And even getting caught by a normal security guard could get me banned…”
Gregory’s thoughts trailed off. He couldn’t even imagine what he’d do if he didn’t have the Pizzaplex anymore. The seemingly unlimited amount of arcade games. The snacks and drinks he’d sneak out of birthday parties he wasn’t invited to. The feeling of having a roof over his head…
Cassie seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation now, “Right. Okay… I’ll be over soon.”
Gregory’s face broke out into a grin, “You’re a lifesaver Cassie.”
“Yeah yeah, don’t thank me yet.” The sound of sheets ruffling and footsteps could be heard over the speaker, “What entrance should I meet you at?”
“The door at the loading docks would be great.” Gregory responded.
“Got it. Be there soon.” Cassie concluded.
Gregory simply stared at his walkie talkie for a few seconds, reflecting on this crazy night. He had just wanted one night of shelter. He knew that he’d be risking it all by being here, but now it seemed like everything was on the verge of falling apart any second.
He didn’t have time for these thoughts right now though. Cassie would be at the loading docks soon, and it would be advisable to meet her there. If only to not make her mad for going out in the middle of the night for no reason.
After taking a deep breath, Gregory pulled aside the photo booth curtain.
And standing right there to greet him was the security guard.
Gregory yelped and jumped back, but the security guard lunged forward and grabbed him.
“You’re not going anywhere you little brat!” she hissed.
And just like that, in a matter of a few seconds everything fell apart.
Cassie double checked that she had everything she needed.
Walkie talkie. Keycard. A bunch of unearned confidence to sneak off and break into a building in the middle of the night.
Well, she didn’t quite have the last one, but she’d just have to manage without it.
She looked down at her dad’s keycard: “Jeremy Fitzgerald, Faz-Technician”
She wasn’t actually sure if being a “Faz-Technician” granted you access to the loading dock doors, but she would just have to believe in her dad’s corporate importance.
Cassie put her shoes on and was about to open her front door when-
“Cassie? What are you doing sweetie?”
Cassie turned around to see her dad looking at her with a tired and confused expression.
“Oh um I was just…” Cassie tried to come up with some excuse.
“...yes?”
“...nothing.”
Cassie’s dad walked up closer and put a hand on her shoulder, “Come on Cass. Seriously, what’s going on?”
“I ummm… left something at the Pizzaplex!” Cassie exclaimed, saying that last part a bit too loudly, “Yeah, I left my homework there, and it’s due tomorrow. So don’t worry, I’m just gonna go over and get it real quick.”
Cassie tried to walk away, but her dad caught her arm.
“Cassie.”
“Yes, dad?”
“Were you really planning on just walking over to the Pizzaplex in the middle of the night?”
“Well, it’s not that far of a walk really-”
Cassie’s dad interrupted her mid-sentence with a chuckle. He shook his head, before returning his gaze to Cassie.
“It’s fine honey, I’ll drive us over.” Cassie’s dad walked over to the kitchen counter to get his car keys and his wallet.
“Wh-What?” Cassie stammered, “I mean… it’s really not that big of a deal, dad. I can just get it tomorrow.”
“Are you sure it isn't a big deal?” Cassie’s dad snatched his keycard from her and waved it around, “Cause it looks like you were about to steal my keycard for this.”
Cassie was at a loss for words. Her brain was working overtime trying to come up with some way out of this.
Cassie’s dad smiled and rustled her hair, “Don’t worry I’m not mad…” He tilted his head back and forth as if considering, “Well okay maybe a little bit. But it’s okay, I just wished you had asked me.”
He put on his shoes, opened the door, and began walking towards the car.
Cassie stayed rooted in place.
“You coming or what?”
Cassie swallowed, “...yeah, I’m coming.”
“I really didn’t need this tonight…” Vanessa (as Gregory had now learned her name was) grumbled as she dragged him by the arm.
Gregory put up some resistance at first. Trying to tug his arm away, screaming, he even considered biting if it came down to it. But he decided against his feral instincts, when he realized it’d just make him even more likely to be in big trouble. Instead, he was going to try and talk his way out of this.
“Thank goodness you found me!” he mustered up all the innocence he could, “I got separated from my parents earlier today and I got lost and I-”
“Save it kid.” Vanessa interrupted, “You don’t think I’ve noticed you running around and hiding from me all night?”
Gregory tried to recover from this, “I- I was just scared!” Technically the truth.
Vanessa brought her hand to her forehead, wincing in pain. “Ugh… I’ve already got enough of a headache without having to deal with you, so I would really appreciate it if you’d just stop with your excuses…”
“I’m serious though, I have a legit reason for being here!” Gregory pleaded.
Vanessa sighed, “What’s your name, kid?”
Gregory thought of giving a fake name, but didn't really see any point, “Gregory.”
“Well Gregory,” Vanessa began, “I’m gonna call the police and you can explain it all to them.”
Gregory’s eyes widened, “...the police?”
Vanessa almost smirked at his cartoonish reaction, “Yeah, you’re trespassing after hours. What did you think would happen?”
“It was an accident! I didn’t mean to stay here!” Gregory did his best to sell the lie, “It’s not really that big of a deal right? Can’t you just let me go?”
“Just let you go?” Vanessa repeated, “I’m not just gonna kick a child out on the streets in the middle of the night. Once the police get here, they’ll return you to your parents.”
“…”
“Finally got nothing to say, huh?” Vanessa said, “Good, the more you cooperate the faster this will all be over.”
The two of them eventually made their way to the main entrance of the Pizzaplex. A large shutter covered the doors.
Vanessa let go of Gregory and stepped to the side of the doors, opening a control panel. Gregory almost considered running off, but thought better of it.
Vanessa scanned a keycard, then pressed a big red button.
…
She stared expectantly at the shutter, but nothing happened. Vanessa narrowed her eyes in confusion, and pressed the button again.
…
Nothing.
“Huh, that’s weird.” Vanessa was about to try again when a security S.T.A.F.F. bot reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Both Vanessa and Gregory jumped at the bot’s sudden appearance.
“Orders dictate that the doors must remain closed.”
Vanessa shook herself free from the bot’s grasp, “Yeah well, I found the kid. Change orders, we can open the doors now.”
Vanessa reached for the control panel, but was once again grabbed by the security bot.
“Orders dictate that the doors must remain closed.”
Vanessa huffed in frustration, “Overwrite orders. Doors open.”
“Order change not accepted.”
“What?” Vanessa repeatedly tried to yank her hand from the bot’s grip, but its hand remained tight around her wrist, “I’m Officer Vanessa! I’m in charge of the night shift! Overwrite orders!”
The security bot stared back with soulless eyes and neutral tone, “Order change not-“
Vanessa, having had enough, sucker punched the robot with her free hand. The security bot rolled back, releasing its hold. Gregory looked between the both of them in shock.
“Stupid robot…” Vanessa muttered massaging the hand she punched with.
The security bot, seemingly unaffected, started making its way towards Vanessa and Gregory.
The two of them started to back away, but when they looked behind them, more security bots had showed up. All of them closing in.
The eyes of the bots had turned from black to red. Gregory wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but from every piece of media ever he couldn’t assume it meant anything good.
Vanessa’s eyes darted from bot to bot, eventually settling on an opening in the crowd.
She pointed it out and shouted, “Run!”
Gregory didn’t need to be told twice. The two of them booked it, dodging the arms of security bots trying to grab them.
“Where are we going?” Gregory yelled as they ran.
“I- I don’t know,” Vanessa said unsteadily, “Just follow me!”
And so the two of them ran as fast as they could, security bots not far behind.