Chapter Text
Inside a large tank, were four merfolk. Three of them held instruments.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Fazbear Entertainment would like you to put your hands together for the one, the only, Freddy Fazbear.” An announcer said.
The tank was being raised up, and suddenly, they were on stage, humans cheering from the stands!
The group performed, playing their instruments and dancing through the water as platforms from within the tanks moved up for each of them to stand on or float above! A camera that broadcasted this to the whole PizzaPlex zoomed in on the crocodilian mer wearing sunglasses as the screen behind him showed his name - Montgomery Gator!
Then it moved to the seal on keytar - Roxanne Wolf!
The camera moved to the white fish on the electric guitar - Chica Chicken!
And finally, it zoomed on the leader of the group, the one in the center. Dancing with a microphone was the one, the only, Freddy Fazbear!
The platforms lowered and the band got ready for Freddy to start singing. But his vision started to get blurry, and then, he fainted.
Freddy woke up in his green room - a small terrarium for him. The room was half filled with water, and he got up, his head out of the water as he looked in the mirror.
“Showtime already? I am not feeling well.” Freddy said. Suddenly, he heard a voice!
“Shhh! Will you shut up?” The voice said.
“Who said that?” Freddy asked, not taking his eyes off the mirror.
“I did. I’m down here.” The voice said.
“Down where? I still do not see you.”
“Ok, listen. You were sleeping so I hopped into the tank and hid under your fins.” The voice admitted.
“My fins? You would have been underwater a great deal of time!”
“I peaked my head out every few seconds! It’s not like these things are heavy!”
“Still, it is not a safe play area!” Freddy turned around, and saw a young human boy treading water.
“There you are. Who are you?” Freddy asked.
“I-I’m Gregory.” The boy said. He looked nervous.
“Gregory… hm. What are you doing here so late?”
“It’s her! She brought me here! I barely escaped!” Gregory explained, sounding like he was gonna cry. “And now she won’t stop until she finds me.”
“Who? Who is looking for you? Your mother?”
“Sh! I hear footsteps!” Gregory peaked out the curtains. He saw a woman.
“That is the security guard, Officer Vanessa. She can help.” Freddy said.
“No! No, I don’t trust her.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know who she is but she’s trying to get me. To take me to the lady who brought me here! Isn’t there some other way for you to communicate with me besides talking so loudly?!”
“Ah, take this. It is a novelty Freddy Fazwatch.” Freddy handed Gregory the watch as the boy carefully put it on. It beeped.
“What was that?” Gregory sounded panicked.
“I am sending you an encoded message.” Freddy said. So Gregory checked the watch.
“Hello Gregory! It is me, Freddy! I will escort you to the main entrance. However, I am unable to leave this room. You should have no problem. There is a button on the wall that will open the door to the backroom.” The message said.
Gregory took a breath and swam down and pressed the button. A hatch on the floor opened.
“Well done, Gregory. The filtering system can be accessed in the maintenance room. You will have to crawl through the water filters and release me from the outside.” Freddy explained. Gregory dove down, with the hatch closing, stopping the water flow. Gregory looked around, seeing the entrance to the filtering system.
“It’s pretty dark in there.” Gregory muttered.
“There is nothing to be scared of.” Freddy reassured. “You can do it.”
Gregory looked around, spotting a row of dive suits.
“Those suits are a required purchase for entering the PizzaPlex. If you do not have one, one of those spares should fit.” Freddy said. Gregory looked them over and grabbed one, putting it on. There was 5 minutes of oxygen in it. He wiggled his way into the filter tank, swimming against the current to get into the tubes that led to the greenrooms. As he swam, he could hear Roxy.
“Your performance was perfect tonight!” She said. Gregory swam towards the filter cartridge to get a closer look. Roxy was lounging on a chair above water, complimenting herself in the mirror.
“Your hair is beautiful. Your tail is beautiful. Everyone was watching you. Everyone wants to be you.” She said to herself. Gregory continued to swim through the tubes, hearing grunting and yelling. He saw a filter cartridge, and tried to look inside the Greenroom, but it was so full of gunk he could barely see. Still, he could tell the voice belonged to Monty.
He continued on his way, hearing an electric guitar as he swam. He neared another filter cartridge and took a look. Chica was slaying on guitar! And she was having a blast! Gregory smiled and continued on. He eventually reached a dead end, but when he looked up, he saw a movable tile. He moved it and climbed out. He was in an employees only area of Rockstar Row, and so he jumped down into the main area.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for visiting, and we hope you enjoyed the show. Freddy and the gang are pretty tired, but they’ll be back again next week after a few days of scheduled vet checkups. Please make your way to the front of the building, where you will be given novelty glasses, a voucher for one free soda refill, and where you will sign a legal disclaimer releasing us of all liability for anything that may have happened during your visit. Have an awesome night, and we’ll see you again soon.” An automated voice said over the PA.
Gregory walked through the hall, where one could see into most of the merfolk’s rooms. Fazbear characters were in display boxes. And there were large, golden statues of each of the Glamrock Band members atop fountains. He made it to Freddy’s room, and saw an area where people could wait in line leading up to a ladder above the room. He climbed up, and saw a door at his feet, leading inside. He tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“The stupid door won’t open.” He said.
“Oh. You are going to need a Photo Pass to open the door.” Freddy explained. “My apologies. I assumed you had one already. Well, you should be able to find one at a convenience counter.”
And so, Gregory climbed down, continuing down the hall. By Freddy’s fountain was a bag. Gregory grabbed it and found papers. Documents. This one being an official complaint:
Party Foul:
CUSTOMER COMPLAINT - We paid for the Glam Freddy Mega Deluxe Party Package and Freddy fainted as soon as he got on stage. We paid to have him at the table and sing happy birthday. He was supposed to give her the cake! My daughter’s birthday has been ruined. I demand a refund.
Gregory stored the paper away in the bag he carried everywhere with him. He reached a large shutter door. It automatically opened partially when he got close. He crawled underneath the opening and it shut behind him. Outside, the middle of the floor was a waterway. On the walls were cardboard cutouts of the Glamrocks. Just at the feet of an astronaut Freddy cutout, was a Photo Pass!
“Good job. Now, please come let me out.” Freddy said. So Gregory went back to do just that, opening the door atop the greenroom. Freddy climbed out.
“Way to go, Superstar!” Freddy praised. “I knew you could do it. I know how to get you out of here. Climb back into my fins. There is still time, but we must hurry. If I am spotted I will most certainly be taken back to my room. I will escort you to the main entrance through the utility tunnels. It is the safest route.”
“Ok, but you better be careful moving around. I don’t wanna fall off and into that lady’s arms.” Gregory replied with a bit of sass.
Gregory climbed into the large fins that dwarfed him. Freddy laid them over him so Gregory wouldn’t be seen and headed down. Despite lacking legs, he was rather good at land traversal - he had to be. He could slither almost like a snake, but it was still slower than Gregory could walk.
Freddy made his way to the regular doors, which led to a back area with a set of stairs. He carefully slid down them, making sure to keep Gregory unharmed. As they went down, they heard a voice. A nervous voice.
“Hello? Little boy? If you’re down here, say something!” It was Vanessa.
“She’s down here, we have to go back.” Gregory whispered.
“Do not worry, Gregory. Even if we are spotted you are safe with me. She would never suspect we are traveling together. However, we should still do our best to avoid her.” Freddy said as he reached the bottom and went through a shutter door.
“If I am sent back to my room we will never get to the lobby by midnight.” Freddy said. But with Gregory so close, he just couldn’t help but sense something was off. His ‘pup in distress’ senses were going off. He thought it was because the boy was in danger, but looking back at him, he saw bruises on his neck. Fresh bruises. Had someone tried to strangle him?! Freddy shook his head, not wanting to think about that, but knowing he needed to do something. “You are, broken.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.” Gregory replied.
“No, you are injured. I am taking you to the first aid station.” Freddy turned right, going down a hall.
“There’s no time! I’m fine!” Gregory protested but Freddy didn’t turn back. They eventually reached a first aid station with a curtain. Freddy gently grabbed Gregory and placed him on the ground. Seeing no other option, Gregory entered the first aid station. And then he heard footsteps. He peaked out, and saw Vanessa aiming her flashlight at Freddy.
“Freddy! You’re supposed to be resting.” She scolded.
“Officer Vanessa, I do not know how I got here." Freddy lied.
“Well, you totally blew it tonight, you know. You fainted and you ruined the show. Now, Veterinary Services have you on mandatory rest. They said it's a safety precaution. Just one more thing to deal with…" she muttered.
“I apologize.”
"Ok... Look, we're like 15 minutes from closing and some kid is sneaking around backstage. If you see anything, notify me immediately. I already alerted the others. Now, go back to your room." And so, Vanessa left, with Gregory quickly closing the curtain, breathing heavily. That was too close. After she left, Gregory stepped out.
“I told you she was after me.” He said.
"I said nothing. I will keep you safe. Let us go." Freddy said. Gregory hopped back into his fins and they went back out to where they were before Freddy noticed Gregory’s injuries. They then went forward, passing boxes.
“Where are we?” Gregory asked.
"We are now under the Pizzaplex. These utility tunnels connect all the attractions." Freddy explained as they continued through the twisting and turning hall.
“We can go anywhere in the building?”
“Correct. Fazer Blast, Monty Golf, Roxy Raceway: they are all accessible to S.T.A.F.F. - with high enough clearance of course. Guests are never allowed down here, but yours is a... special situation." Freddy explained as they passed many boxes. Eventually, they reached a gate and were forced to turn. Going right, they went up a staircase, with Freddy essentially pulling himself up the stairs with the guardrail. Once they reached the top, Freddy took Gregory out of his fins. He was too tired to keep going for now.
“I am terribly sorry. I had not yet rested enough when I found you. You must continue without me. I will guide you on your Fazwatch in case you get into any trouble.” Freddy said, leaning against a wall.
“I don’t know if I can do this alone.” Gregory said. But Freddy was asleep. So, he took a deep breath, and continued on. He spotted another bag in front of the doors. Opening it was another document:
Food Storage:
ATTENTION KITCHEN STAFF - All food materials to be used the next day must be securely at closing. Chica has been caught eating from the kitchen garbage. The vet bills are costly and will come out of kitchen staff paychecks. - MANAGEMENT
Gregory put the paper in his bag and went through the doors. An arrow pointing forward on the walls said “LOBBY”. Good, he was going the right way. There was a stack of items blocking the way, but a door on the side. He opened it, and spotted Chica inside the bathrooms, eating.
“It’s Chica! Maybe I could distract her with something.” Gregory said to himself. He went up to the items - a table with paint buckets, and knocked the buckets over.
“Bwak bwak bwak?” Chica said, leaving the bathroom to check on the noise. Gregory took the chance to run into the bathroom and out the door Chica left through, running and crouching past her. When he was crouching, the only way to detect him was sight - he made no sound. It was a gift that helped him a lot.
Gregory rounded the corner and reached a door. By the door was a sign: “Be careful. 100% of fatal accidents involve human beings.”
Gregory went through the door. He was now in a dank room. A shelf, a crudely drawn Freddy picture. A red thing that was probably a mini fridge and a red couch. He moved past the shelf and went to the door on the other side. This area was nicer - having red floors, green ceiling, and green and pink walls. He could go forward or turn left, and he chose to go forward, opening a door to a storage closet. He made his way to a door on the other side.
Out in the halls again, he turned right and went down a long hall. He ended up in a dark room filled with machinery, illuminated by red lights. On the left was a gate, forward machinery, right a path. He turned right, walking on grate. And then-
“There you are!” Monty smashed through the gate behind him. Unlike Freddy, Chica, and Roxy, Monty had legs. And that made him fast on land. Gregory panicked, taking off running past various computers and machines. He quickly turned right and went down a hall leading to doors. Gregory slammed the door open, running for his life!
Inside was a larger room, but also an entrance to another hall - where the lobby would be! He kept running but he was getting tired! He stopped to catch his breath but Chica appeared from a door in the large room, and Monty caught up quick.
“Lost boy overhere~” Chica said.
Gregory ran, not looking back, adrenaline pumping! The hall led to stairs which he ran up, tripping over himself a few times. Chica had to pull herself up like Freddy did earlier, but Monty climbed up on all 6 limbs (4 legs 2 arms), growling.
The stairs seemed never ending, and Gregory was tiring out again. But he couldn’t stop, even if his chest hurt from running out of breath. If he stopped, Monty would kill him or bring him to Vanny who would kill him. Eventually he did reach a hall and sprinted down, reaching a security office and pressing a button to slam the door on the side he came from shut, causing Monty to slam into it! The merman clawed at it while Gregory backed away on the floor, terror in his eyes. Then, he backed off, but Gregory heard movement - he and Chica were going to go around to the other side.
"Well done, Gregory. You found a security office. You should be quite safe here. The doors were designed to keep our highly-trained security staff safe in the event of an emergency. As long as the doors stay closed, which they will, as long as there is ample power…" Freddy explained through the Fazwatch.
“Freddy! The power’s only at 15% and their pounding on the door! How am I gonna get outta here?” Gregory could see the two merfolk trying to break in.
"Do not panic. You should see an interface on the security desk. Hold on while I will make it accessible to you... there. You can now activate security protocols." After Freddy said this, Gregory activated the protocols.
“Your Fazwatch is now connected to the security camera system. Check the map on your Fazwatch.” Freddy explained. Gregory did so, seeing boxes on the map. "Those boxes on your mini-map are nearby security cameras. When movement is detected by the camera's motion sensors, you should see red alert icons. Switch between the cameras to find a safe path out of the office and to the main lobby."
Gregory watched, seeing Chica walking around the back of the office and Monty pounding on the doors. He checked the back again, seeing Chica eating garbage in the corner. But then she left and headed for the second office door. Gregory snuck out of the office through the door Chica was heading for, hiding behind some boxes in the hall until she passed him by. He watched cameras again, seeing Chica but not Monty. He couldn’t wait forever, and once Chica passed he made a break for it! He ran through the halls before reaching another set of doors.
He exited through those doors, ending up in a small hallway leading to another set of doors. Going through those put him in the main lobby. The walls, floors, and ceiling were actually tanks of water, all interconnected. Adverts played on pillars, there were tables with umbrellas. And the exit was within reach! And then…
“Freddy Fazbear’s Mega PizzaPlex is now closed. Initiating nighttime protocols” The PA said as large metal shutters fell and locked in place.
“No no! Wait, I'm still here!” Gregory cried as he ran for the doors, arriving just as the shutters locked. “Now what am I supposed to do?”
He looked around at the PizzaPlex, the water and statues illuminated by 80’s style lighting.
"How unfortunate, Gregory. You missed your chance. But there is still hope. You should be able to escape when the security doors reopen at 6 AM. Until then, keep moving and try not to draw attention to yourself. If there is another way out, I will help you find it. I promise." Freddy said.
Gregory’s journey had just begun. Secrets waiting to be discovered, evil’s waiting to be unearthed. With four merfolk hunting him, and Vanny pulling the strings, it was just him and Freddy against the world tonight.
And outside, a young girl reached the entrance to the city’s sewer system.
“Hold on, Gregory. I’m coming.”