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“Where are we?” Luke’s voice sounded beside him.
Gregory was wondering the same thing. Where were they? This wasn’t the town they lived in. He looked for Vanessa’s gaze, trying to find an answer, but she didn’t know either. Freddy and Luis were the same. None of them knew.
But Gregory knew one thing: if they were here, that damned endoskeleton that had caused them so much harm was here too. He looked around; they couldn’t let it roam freely. He trembled at the mere thought of it encountering innocent people in this unfamiliar place. They couldn’t let there be any more bloodshed.
“Stay still and don’t—” Vanessa started to speak, but Gregory didn’t hear her and began to run away from them.
“Wait!” Luke shouted, running after Gregory.
He needed to find him and lock him up again! He had to!
He tried to find somewhere that seemed strange, so he could try to find the endoskeleton. Everything seemed too normal, which only made Gregory desperate. He needed to be quick if he wanted to save the lives of the people in this place.
“Look!” Luke shouted, pointing.
Gregory looked in that direction. It was a house, not very big. But the important thing wasn't the house itself, but the animatronic above one of the doors. It was like a strange, deformed endoskeleton with a head that looked like some kind of wolf or fox.
It was the first time he'd ever seen that animatronic, but he knew that's where they had to go.
They arrived quickly. Luke was curious about the place, but Gregory was nervous. Something was happening there, and he feared it was something bad. “Shhhhhh,” he said, putting his finger to his lips to signal Luke to be quiet as they slipped inside the house.
They heard voices; it sounded like there was some kind of argument. They approached slowly.
“You’re his childe,” a male voice said to someone. Gregory wanted to get even closer. “We will always be his.” Now he could see that he was a rather strange, lanky fellow who smelled of danger. “Come home.”
Wanting to stop paying attention to that man, he fixed his gaze on the person the man was speaking to. It was a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes. Gregory froze when he saw her. She looked so much like Vanessa!
Luke let out a small, stifled gasp. “Gregory,” he whispered, almost shouting. “Isn’t that Vanessa?” He pointed at the woman.
Gregory was relieved that he wasn’t the only one who thought the woman looked a lot like Vanessa, but now they had a problem. The people in the room had noticed them.
“Mike, look!” A little girl’s voice called from the side of the room. Gregory and Luke looked over and saw two more people: a young man and a little girl.
“Well, what do we have here?” the strange man crooned, sending a shiver down Gregory’s spine. That tone in his voice reminded him of that glitched rabbit that had ruined his life. “You two are perfect to carry on Dad’s legacy.”
The woman, who looked so much like Vanessa, moved even closer to the strange man. “Michael, stop this!” Her voice was utterly desperate.
But he wasn’t listening. He looked at the animatronics surrounding them, including that weird Freddy. “Finish them off!”
Luke backed away in fear.
“No! You can’t do that!” the little girl screamed. Gregory looked at her and saw that the young man beside her was hugging her. She was struggling, trying to get away, but he wouldn’t let go. It was clear from his eyes that he was really nervous about what was happening.
“Abby,” the young man’s voice was firm but also trembling as he continued trying to stop the girl and hold her tighter. Gregory could tell from the young man's eyes that he was doing all this to protect the little girl.
The animatronics began to approach. Gregory stepped in front of Luke, shielding him. He was nervous too. He had an idea in mind, but he wasn't sure if it would work, but he had to try. He pulled his Fazerblaster from his pocket and fired at the animatronics in rapid succession. Then he aimed at that strange guy and shot him in the eyes.
"AHHHH!" he groaned, covering his eyes. "What the hell?!"
Gregory quickly pressed the button on his Fazwatch to summon Freddy. Now relieved that Freddy was on his way, he stepped back and, along with Luke, moved away from the stunned animatronics. His plan had worked!
Gregory looked around; everyone was surprised.
"Wow," said a girl named Abby, looking both surprised and curious about the Fazblaster. "That's so cool!"
"What the heck is that?!" shouted the strange man, recovering from his shock.
Gregory didn't trust the guy, so he fired the Fazblaster at him again. The man complained, but Gregory just stared at him seriously, waiting for Freddy to arrive quickly. Luke shifted uncomfortably.
"Gregory, I don't think that'll stop him," Luke said fearfully.
"Relax, Freddy's on his way."
"Freddy?" asked the girl named Abby. “You mean my friend?”
Gregory and Luke looked at her, confused.
Her friend? Freddy didn't tell me anything. Although, well, this place is very strange. There's a girl who looks a lot like Vanessa, weird animatronics, a strange version of Freddy, and now she says she's friends with Freddy. What's going on here?
“Your friend?” Gregory asked.
“Yes! He's my-”
Abby was interrupted by a loud crash. Suddenly, Freddy appeared, smashing the door to the room, which was now locked. One of those strange robots had locked it as a precaution to prevent Gregory and Luke from escaping. But that weirdo hadn't counted on Freddy and the claws he now possessed, similar in strength to the ones Monty once had.
Gregory was so impressed with the strength these claws gave Freddy that, when Freddy's body was abandoned at Pizzaplex with this enhancement, he proposed to Vanessa that they build Freddy a new body with claws like these.
Freddy quickly reached them. He stood in front of Gregory. “Are you okay, superstar?”
Gregory nodded. “Yes! But something very strange is happening here.”
Freddy turned to look at the others in the room. He noticed the strange man and got into a fighting stance; even Freddy knew that guy was dangerous. But then something surprised the animatronic: that girl who looked like Vanessa.
“Vanessa?”
The woman was surprised. “What? How?” Her confused face, with her wide eyes and slightly open mouth, betrayed that the question had caught her off guard. “How do you know my name?”
“What is this, Vanessa? More secrets?” The young man protecting Abby questioned the girl sternly. But what surprised Gregory the most was that name.
Vanessa?! She’s also named Vanessa?! So she’s “the Vanessa” of this place?! But how is that possible? What’s going on?!
“No, Mike,” the girl named Vanessa replied to the young man named Mike. Her voice sounded urgent, desperate. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Wow, this is very interesting,” the strange man said, having recovered from the Fazerblaster blast. He approached Freddy with curiosity but also trying to keep his distance in case Freddy attacked him. “This Freddy certainly seems much more advanced than the ones we’ve seen at Freddy’s.” He turned to the Vanessa there with a smile. “Isn’t that interesting, Vanessa?” That question radiated danger. “It would be perfect for my plan.”
The Vanessa approached the man. “Michael, stop all this. This isn’t a game,” she replied firmly but also desperately. A tear began to well up in her right eye.
Poor Vanessa…
“Vanessa. Do you really think you can escape what you are? Your purpose?” The strange man laughed. Gregory kept his eyes fixed on her, still holding the Fazerblaster in his left hand. “Dad, he taught us very well what our lives would be.” Vanessa swallowed hard; she was truly suffering. “You and I belong to this life of bloodshed. We were raised for it, to kill.”
Gregory froze. Those words brought back memories he desperately wanted to erase. He didn't want to remember, but those horrible memories always came flooding back.
I'm so sorry…
He mentally apologized again to those whom Rab had hurt when he and Gregory were one, GGY. His parents… Tony… Ellis… Even Cassie… They all suffered because of the being born from him.
He felt so awful…
If only there were a way to go back. If there were, he would return to the past and prevent him from hurting them.
That was a recurring thought in Gregory's mind. But he often wondered if that were possible, would he be able to stop him? Part of him wanted to believe that he would, that he could. But another part remembered the past. He had fought Rab internally so many times, and not once had he won against Rab… What could assure him that this time would be different?
He pushed those thoughts away and looked back at the strange man. He was smiling, one hand resting on his chest. “I will fulfill the mission entrusted to me, just as he told us,” he said proudly.
Gregory clenched his jaw, tears threatening to spill.
“Are you okay?” He heard Luke's voice beside him, but he didn't react.
He kept his gaze fixed on the man. “Killing is NOT good,” Gregory said firmly, drawing everyone's attention.
The man looked at him with surprise and mockery. “And who's going to tell me that? A kid whose moral compass hasn't even been created yet?” He smiled. He mocked him. Gregory hated him. “Stop bothering me, kid. Go away now, before I send the animatronics to tear you apart again.”
Gregory looked at Freddy. He was staring straight ahead. But not at the man, but at the rabbit that was now standing next to him. It was a light blue rabbit with makeup. Gregory had never seen it before. Now that he thought about it, he'd never seen any other rabbit in Pizzaplex besides Vanny.
“B-Bonnie?” Freddy stammered as he fearfully began to approach him. The man looked at him curiously and let him get closer to this Bonnie. “Is that you?”
The animatronic tilted his head but didn't understand what Freddy was referring to.
Gregory wished he could animate Freddy.
While Freddy was trying to get Bonnie's attention, the strange man started approaching Gregory and Luke. Vanessa tried to stop him, but he forcefully broke free from her grip and kept walking toward them.
Gregory pointed the Fazerblaster at the man's eyes.
Luke started backing away and pulled Gregory back. But he wasn't going to back down any further. He kept aiming at the man, ready to fire again.
The strange man quickly and forcefully grabbed the Fazerblaster. Gregory started struggling against him. He wasn't going to let him take it. But the man gave Gregory a hard elbow. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and then a flash hit his eyes.
"AHHHHHH!" Gregory screamed in pain. That shot from the Fazerblaster really hurt.
As Gregory recovered from the shock, he felt a sharp tug, and the Fazerblaster was thrown from his hands. "Give it back!"
“Give it back!” Abby screamed from Mike’s arms, trying to escape and go help them.
That strange guy laughed before curiously examining the toy gun.
“Michael,” Vanessa said, approaching again, but he shot her in the eyes. Vanessa cried out, “AHHH!”
That strange guy named Michael continued to admire the Fazerblaster with fascination. He fired at the ground, testing it. “Fascinating, truly fascinating. It looks like a toy gun, but it can stun. I wonder if…” He began to move his hand toward Freddy, who was still staring at Bonnie, oblivious to the conversation. He shot him in the eyes, and Freddy began to cry out, becoming completely stunned.
“Don’t you ever do that to him again!” Gregory shouted when he saw Freddy suffering.
That strange guy turned and looked at him with a mocking smile. “Or what? You’re unarmed, and your friend is completely vulnerable to this little weapon.”
Gregory clenched his jaw tightly, feeling utterly powerless.
It was all over.
He was unarmed, and sadly, Freddy couldn’t help.
He should have told Vanessa and Luis to design some glasses for Freddy, like Monty’s…
He berated himself, knowing it was too late.
They had lost…
Gregory started backing away, still standing in front of Luke, protecting him.
“Mike, we have to go help them…” Abby spoke again.
“Abby… There’s nothing we can do to help them.” Mike’s voice was firm, tinged with sadness. But above all, firm.
Gregory saw that strange Freddy approaching where he and Luke were. They were definitely going to die there. Gregory continued to protect Luke, but his mind began to wander about which fate was worse: being killed by those animatronics, or being controlled again.
He could say that by being killed, he was trying to convince himself that at least if he were controlled, he would try to save whoever the next victim was. But he couldn't lie to the part of him that longed for his end. He couldn't bear to hurt someone again. So he preferred to die; at least that way, no one else would suffer because of him.
"But before I kill you, tell me," the strange man named Michael began, swinging the Fazerblaster a little before pointing it at Gregory again. "Why did your little friend know about Vanessa?" The Vanessa in that place composed herself and tried to approach Michael, but he pointed the toy gun at her. Vanessa stayed back. Then, the strange man pointed it at him again. "Well?" Gregory didn't answer; he wasn't going to give him such valuable information. Instead, he looked at Freddy. Freddy had already recovered from the shock and started walking toward him. But Michael pointed the Fazerblaster at him. "If you take one more step, I'll shoot you again." Freddy froze.
“No, not if I can help it.”
A firm voice sounded in the room, drawing everyone’s attention. Gregory turned around and found Vanessa, the Vanessa from where they lived, and Luis. Both were exhausted, as if they had run quite a distance to find them. Gregory was relieved and happy to see them both there.
“Officer Vanessa!” Freddy exclaimed happily upon seeing her.
Vanessa looked at him. “I already told you, Freddy, you can just call me Vanessa.”
“Huh?! What the hell?!” the other Vanessa exclaimed, approaching the Vanessa they knew. “How is this possible?!”
Vanessa gave the Vanessa from this strange place a small smile. “Believe me, I’d like to understand too.”
“But you look so much like me! You’re almost identical to me!”
“And you to me! It’s like we’re different ‘selves’ from another universe!”
“But if that’s the case, how is this possible?! How did you end up here?!”
Luis took a few timid steps, feeling somewhat guilty for interrupting the two Vanessas’ conversation. “We were walking, trying to catch that crazy endoskeleton, when we ended up in this town.”
The other Vanessa looked at Luis. “Endoskeleton? Did one of them escape?” she asked, confused.
“That endoskeleton is a real danger…” Gregory said, joining the conversation.
“Just like these animatronics?” Mike asked, pointing to the strange animatronics that followed the orders of that odd guy named Michael.
Gregory swallowed, remembering those times when he had to follow that endoskeleton ’s orders perfectly. “Much, much worse…” he said, clearly traumatized.
That Vanessa, the Vanessa from that strange place, nodded, processing this information. “This is crazy.”
“Just this?” Mike asked.
That Vanessa looked at Mike for a few seconds before turning back to Gregory, the Vanessa Gregory knew, and Luis. “I don’t know how all this is happening, but… If that endoskeleton is so dangerous, I’ll help you catch it. By the way, my name is Vanessa Shelly.” She introduced herself politely, but also with a hint of anxiety.
“Vanessa Alyn,” said the Vanessa Gregory knew.
That strange guy started laughing and looked at Vanessa Shelly. “Really? Shelly? Oh, come on, sis. Don’t think you’re going to escape what you are like that. Your last name, like mine, is Afton.” Gregory looked back at Vanessa Shelly; she was truly distressed.
Greg felt a slight tug. He jumped in surprise but calmed down when he saw it was just Luke. “Greg, did you hear that?” Gregory nodded slowly, confused. “Weren’t the Aftons fictional characters from those Fazbear video games?”
“Fictional?” The strange man turned his gaze toward Luke, who began to tremble with fear. Gregory stepped in front of Luke, protecting him, while Michael let out a harsh laugh. “Do you think we’re fictional, kid?” Luke continued to tremble but said nothing. “Besides, what do you mean by ‘those Fazbear video games’?”
Vanessa Alyn stepped in front of them, drawing the strange man’s attention. “Leave them alone.”
Gregory thanked Vanessa for defending them.
Michael looked at Vanessa Alyn. “So you’re my sister’s ‘me’ in some way? That would make sense; you’re just like her.”
“Michael!” Vanessa Shelly reprimanded him.
Michael glanced at his brother for a few seconds before fixing his gaze back on Vanessa Alyn. “Then you answer my question.” Vanessa Alyn didn’t answer. “No? Then I’ll give you a new one. If you exist as my sister’s alternate self, that means there’s an alternate self of mine who is your brother, right?”
Vanessa Alyn shook her head. “No. I don’t have a brother.”
“That’s a shame. I would have loved to meet my ‘self’ from where you live. To know if he’s like me. If he also fulfills the purpose Dad entrusted to us. It would be very interesting if that were the case. I will undoubtedly continue his legacy.”
Not if I can stop him.
Gregory longed to have his Fazerblaster back so he could blind him again. That guy was truly an imbecile and dangerous. Gregory tried to approach Freddy again; perhaps if he climbed inside him, together they could take the Fazerblaster from Michael. However, as soon as he started to move, a shot from that toy gun was fired at the ground near where he stood, a warning. Gregory didn’t move anymore.
In his mind, he continued searching for a way to stop him; he couldn’t allow the bloodshed to continue.
Suddenly, a noise began where they were. It was as if something were being dragged. Gregory became alert, wishing he had his Fazerblaster back. Another loud noise was heard, this time coming from where Bonnie was. Everyone turned to see him moving his torso and arms in a very strange way while trying to say something unintelligible.
"What's wrong with you?" the strange man asked the animatronic, taking several steps toward him, but the animatronic didn't respond and continued moving violently.
Gregory started moving toward Freddy, taking advantage of the fact that Michael wasn't looking. Luke followed him. Closer to Freddy, he felt safer, but he still had a very bad feeling about whatever was happening to Bonnie.
Freddy turned to look at Gregory. "Are you okay, superstar?" Gregory nodded. "Thank goodness," Freddy said, feeling relieved.
More violent noises were coming from Bonnie, making him look back.
"Mike, what's wrong with him?" Abby asked, frightened.
“I don’t know, Abby. I don’t know…”
Gregory felt increasingly anxious. This didn’t look good.
But suddenly, the movements stopped.
Michael approached slowly. However, when he raised his head, the animatronic’s green eyes no longer glowed blue. They weren’t even green anymore. Now the eyes were a strong reddish-orange.
He felt his breath quicken with anxiety as he recognized those eyes. His hands began to sweat, and his body trembled. He was here…
Gregory began to back away in fear.
“What the hell?” the strange man said, but Gregory didn’t care anymore.
He had to hide quickly.
He turned back to Freddy. “Freddy, let me in!”
He could feel the confused stares of those who had just met him, but he didn’t care. He needed to hide fast! Freddy quickly grasped the gravity of the situation and opened a ribcage, revealing the hiding place. He swiftly climbed inside.
“Luke!” Gregory shouted. “Go to Vanessa and Luis!”
“But—”
“Please do it!” he yelled even louder, his voice filled with worry and desperation.
Luke nodded and quickly ran toward Vanessa and Luis. Vanessa Shelly approached them, pulling a pistol from her pocket. Luis was surprised, Luke was terrified, Gregory trembled, and Vanessa Alyn pulled out a taser.
“Freddy, close the hatch,” Gregory pleaded, fear coursing through his veins, and Freddy did so without hesitation.
Inside, Gregory felt somewhat safer, though he wondered how he would fight the monster that had caused him so much harm. The new claws might work, but he was afraid they would fail. Besides, Gregory still needed to know where Cassie was and if she was alright. He needed to extract that information from the endoskeleton, no matter what.
That “Bonnie” began to move toward them with slow, theatrical movements. It placed its fingers on its chest and looked at Michael. “I will undoubtedly continue his legacy.” That damned monster mocked the strange man’s voice.
Michael opened his eyes. “W-What?! That’s my voice! How is this possible?!” There was confusion and surprise in his voice, but also fear.
The endoskeleton inside that Bonnie began to move a little, dancing with exaggerated movements while laughing with Michael’s voice. After turning around a few times, it looked at Michael again. “I want to fulfill the purpose my father entrusted to me and make him proud,” it mimicked with a mocking tone.
Gregory didn’t know Michael, and didn’t want to, but it seemed that that damned endoskeleton had nailed the imitation.
A shot from the Fazerblaster was fired at him. But that “Bonnie” wasn’t stunned. “H-How is this possible?! He was stunned before!”
But now that endoskeleton is inside him, and now he's the one controlling it!
The endoskeleton kept laughing, but then its gaze fixed on Freddy. The laughter gradually became deeper and slower, losing the imitation of Michael. It wasn't laughing anymore; now its attention was completely focused on them.
He knows I'm here, he saw me hiding. He's going to attack! Will he kill me for locking him in the hole, or will he bring me back under his control?
He swallowed hard; he was truly nervous and terrified.
The endoskeleton leaped out of Bonnie, destroying it instantly. It landed on the ground a few feet away from the rabbit animatronic's mangled body. It slowly began to stand, moving the pointed fingers of its left hand. Its right arm was different. It was an endoskeleton arm, just like Freddy's. Its jaw opened slightly as its eyes turned a reddish hue. It seemed to be assessing the situation before attacking.
It was so fast. The endoskeleton leaped at Freddy and plunged its pointed fingers into the hatch on his chest. Gregory was terrified and tried to get as far away as possible from those sharp, needle-like fingers. But then he realized, that monster wasn't trying to attack him, but rather to rip Freddy's hatch open to get him out.
"Freddy, hold on!" Gregory pleaded fearfully.
A noise reached them, and Gregory saw the taser's wire being fired at the endoskeleton. But it didn't matter; it kept trying to pry the hatch open, using its pointed fingers as a lever.
Freddy tried to damage it, but despite the upgrade they had made to Freddy's claws, they couldn't pierce the monster's metal.
What is it made of?!
Bullets rang out. More taser shots. But nothing! Nothing worked!
"Mike, go get the music box!" Vanessa Shelly shouted desperately.
More bullets; nothing stopped it.
The hatch protecting Gregory was starting to come loose. He couldn't stop trembling with fear. Freddy kept trying to damage the endoskeleton, but it, without any casing, was more resistant than any of the Pizzaplex animatronics. How was that possible?!
And how could they stop it?
A bullet hit a weak point: the endoskeleton's left eye. A loud crack echoed as the bullet pierced the eye. Against all odds, the endoskeleton stopped struggling and withdrew its pointed hand, backing away slightly.
After the endoskeleton withdrew its hand, Freddy fell to the ground. He tried to get up, but could barely sit on the floor, using his elbows for support. "Freddy! Freddy, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, Superstar. A repair and I'll be perfectly fine," Freddy said, trying to sound positive.
Vanessa Alyn approached slowly, afraid that the endoskeleton would fix its gaze on her. But none of that happened. His gaze, through his one remaining eye, fixed on Vanessa Shelly. Vanessa Alyn took advantage of this to approach and check on Freddy's injuries.
"Vanessa, will Freddy be alright?"
Vanessa Alyn nodded, and Gregory felt relieved.
But this wasn't over, not by a long shot.
The endoskeleton was getting closer and closer to Vanessa Shelly.
"Vanessa, run!" Abby shouted, desperately trying to reach her. Luis stopped her.
"Vanessa, don't do anything stupid! Run!" The strange man's voice was loud. It no longer sounded mocking, but fearful. He was completely paralyzed by fear.
Vanessa Shelly didn't move. She gripped the weapon fearfully. More shots rang out, but none of them hit a vulnerable spot. The endoskeleton was getting closer and closer, and Gregory began to feel a surge of courage. They had to save her!
“Freddy, open your hatch!”
Freddy opened it, and Gregory started to climb out. But before he could get close, a kind of cable grabbed the endoskeleton's left arm. Gregory looked to the side, trying to find the source of the object. It wasn't a cable; it was the arm of a very strange animatronic. It was lanky, with white stripes and a white mask that had makeup on its cheeks and two purple stripes running down its cheeks.
Gregory thought the animatronic was very strange, but then a memory came to him.
At Pizzaplex, when he was on the Facade activating the levers to restore power, in the bathroom supply closet, where one of them was located, there was also a plush toy. The plush toy was of this animatronic!
So, that animatronic also exists where we are!
“Charlotte!” Vanessa Shelly shouted in surprise. “What?! Mike made you fall asleep!”
“The box stopped, Nessa.” A voice came from the animatronic, a little girl’s voice. Another arm reached for the endoskeleton. She was trying to dismantle it. The endoskeleton struggled fiercely. “It’s very strong.” The arms exerted all their force, but the endoskeleton remained intact. “Run, stay safe.”
The endoskeleton began scratching the animatronic's arms with its fingers. "No," Vanessa Shelly denied, firing her weapon. She hit the endoskeleton, but it didn't even flinch. "You could have escaped, but you stayed here and saved me. I'll save you, Charlotte." Tears began to well up in Vanessa Shelly's eyes. "For that time I couldn't!"
More bullets were fired. None of them did anything.
Gregory looked at Vanessa Alyn. Vanessa was holding her taser. She was hesitating to use it. Gregory sensed that if she used it, it would also damage the animatronic that was restraining the endoskeleton. Vanessa Alyn ran toward where Mike had gone.
"Mike, it's me, Vanessa! The other Vanessa! Let me help you find that music box!"
"I'll help too!" Michael's voice rang out as he went to Vanessa Alyn.
"But you tried to kill us!" Mike's voice was heard in the distance.
“It’s my sister’s life that’s at stake, you idiot!”
Gregory felt proud of Vanessa. She always tried to protect people in one way or another. Now that she couldn’t handle the taser anymore, she would help find that important object. That was truly admirable!
Gregory started thinking about what he could do to help. He understood that Abby, Luke, Luis, and Freddy needed support. He approached them.
“Why did he attack Freddy?” Abby asked.
“I’ve said it before, he’s really dangerous.”
“But, does he have the soul of a child? Maybe the child is very upset.”
“No,” Gregory denied firmly. “He’s not possessed. He’s an AI. A conscious and intelligent AI.”
Silence fell between them. Suddenly, a loud noise made them turn around. The endoskeleton had managed to break one of the animatronic's arms and, with even more force, had thrown it off, sending it flying.
"Charlotte!" Vanessa Shelly rushed over to where the animatronic had fallen.
As this was happening, the endoskeleton got back to its feet. It fixed its gaze on Vanessa Shelly, ready to attack her. But Gregory ran into the endoskeleton's field of vision, drawing its attention. He started running, trying to escape, knowing that this would get it away from Vanessa.
"Are you okay, Vanessa?" Michael's voice could be heard in the distance, genuinely worried.
If the situation weren't what it was, Gregory would feel better hearing those sincere words from Michael to Vanessa Shelly. It was an act that showed Michael truly cared about his sister.
"Wait, Superstar!" Gregory looked at Freddy, who was trying to stand but couldn't. He was too weak.
Gregory kept running, but he could feel himself getting tired. If he continued this chase, he'd be caught. He had to think of something fast!
He tried to think. But nothing worked… Exhaustion began to overwhelm him. He tried to slow down for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath, but as he did, he was quickly overtaken. Gregory scolded himself for this. He kept asking himself what he could have done to avoid being caught.
The endoskeleton grabbed his right arm tightly. “GGY,” it said in that deep voice that had given Gregory so many nightmares. He tried to struggle against the grip, but it was useless. He was too tired, and that monster was too strong. “Welcome home again.”
Gregory was completely tense and trembling.
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
He tried to free himself again, but soon a soft melody began to play. The music box had been turned on. Gregory didn't know what it was for, but he felt somewhat relieved to hear it. The endoskeleton was no longer looking at him; it was looking toward the source of the sound. Its grip gradually loosened, and suddenly it let go.
Gregory was in shock. He hadn't expected it to let go at all. But it did, and not only that, it began to move away. Gregory turned to look at the music box. Mike was holding it, fearful but also with a firm grip.
"Come on, come on, come on," Mike repeated over and over. He seemed to be waiting for some kind of conclusion. The endoskeleton was getting closer and closer to Mike, making Gregory realize that this wasn't how he wanted things to turn out. "Go to sleep already!" he shouted desperately, seeing how it was getting closer and closer.
"Mike, run!" Abby and Vanessa Shelly screamed at the same time.
Mike started running, and the endoskeleton began chasing him.
“What do we do?!” Luis asked.
“It seems like that music box is attracting it!” Vanessa Alyn commented nervously.
“Freddy’s!” Vanessa Shelly shouted desperately, but also with a glimmer of hope.
“Freddy’s? Really?” Michael commented. “I don’t think that’ll work. After all, Charlotte escaped.”
“Because you freed her!” Vanessa scolded her brother. “This isn’t the time for this; we need to take him to Freddy’s. We’ll lock him up there while we figure out what to do next.”
Gregory’s mind began to replay the time he, Vanessa, and Freddy locked him in the tunnel and how he then tricked Cassie into letting him out.
He’ll escape again… He’ll escape again… He’ll escape again… He’ll escape again… He’ll escape again… He’ll escape again… He’ll escape again…
“Mike!” Vanessa Shelly’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Go to Freddy’s!”
Mike kept running through the house. As he was chased, he heard the endoskeleton repeatedly saying “Time to Play!” in a feminine voice. The endoskeleton was imitating someone, but Gregory didn’t know who or why. It wasn’t the time to ask questions. They had to lock him up.
The others followed Mike. Together they would trap him.
Mike grabbed Abby's bicycle. Gregory assumed it was hers since it was so small. But it didn't matter. It served as transportation, and Mike would use it to speed through the streets while being chased by that endoskeleton.
The others started heading to the restaurant in different cars: one was Michael's, another Mike's, and another belonged to a new guy Gregory heard was named Jeremiah. As the trip went on, Gregory thought about Freddy, who had stayed behind in the house with that other puppet animatronic. He hoped the animatronic wouldn't hurt Freddy, but he also considered that, after Gregory had saved Vanessa Shelly, the little girl possessing the animatronic would be grateful.
They arrived at the restaurant first. The sign read "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza," and the mascots there were the ones Michael had been controlling earlier. Without a second thought, they went inside, and everyone started looking for a place to lock up the endoskeleton.
“The safe room!” Vanessa Shelly shouted, and everyone nodded, even though half of them didn't know where Vanessa Shelly was referring to. Everyone started hiding. Their hearts were pounding. This could all go wrong. But they had to have faith. The doors of the shop burst open. “Mike, here!” Vanessa, who was waiting for Mike outside her hiding place, began to guide him toward the safe room.
The music kept playing, and the endoskeleton's footsteps moved quickly, a stark contrast to the slow, gentle melody.
“Mike! Throw the box inside!”
Mike did just that, and the box fell carelessly into the room. It could have broken and ruined their plan, but luckily, the music box kept playing its sweet melody. Gregory was trembling. Everyone was. Mike hid next to Vanessa Shelly, and everyone started waiting.
Several seconds passed, and the endoskeleton reached their position. It heard the box inside the room. Without hesitation, it went inside.
"Now!!" Vanessa Alyn shouted, and everyone rushed out of hiding and toward the room's doors to close them.
The endoskeleton turned its head at the noise, its jaw opening slightly as it realized the trick. It lunged toward the door, but it was already closed and being held by several members of the group while others searched for pieces of wood and heavy objects to block the entrance. Although it was difficult, little by little, and with teamwork, they managed to secure the doors firmly.
"Will that stop it?" Abby asked.
“I hope so,” Mike said contentedly, hugging Abby tightly.
Gregory swallowed anxiously. “It’ll only stop him for a while, until he finds someone to release him…”
“Then let’s think of a way to deactivate him.”
“We haven’t found one…” Vanessa Alyn said sadly. “Gregory, Freddy, and I locked him up once, trying to prevent him from causing more harm.” Vanessa’s voice trembled. Gregory knew she was remembering her Vanny days. Gregory placed his hand on Vanessa, offering her support. Vanessa gave him a grateful smile before looking at the others. “But maybe… if we find a way to calm his rage, we can make him harmless.”
“You’re talking about not killing him?” Mike spat out in astonishment.
“I’m talking about the only solution.”
“But he almost killed us! He deserves to be destroyed!” Mike shouted firmly.
Gregory swallowed.
I, too, caused deaths with my own hands…
“Well,” Vanessa Shelly began again. “Now that endoskeleton is trapped. Let’s leave now and rest. It’s been a long day.”
Mike hesitated but finally gave in.
Michael looked at them. “And where are you going to sleep?”
“My house is small and almost destroyed.” Mike said.
“You can stay with me, Mike,” Jeremiah said. “You and Abby.”
Mike nodded gratefully and gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you very much.”
Vanessa Shelly looked at Vanessa Alyn. “You can stay at my parents’ house.” It was hard for Vanessa to say that, and the words came out bitterly.
She didn’t seem to have a good relationship with her parents.
Gregory, at that moment, remembered his parents. He remembered those good times that were now in the past. They would never return.
Luis smiled. “Thank you very much.”
And so Gregory, Luke, Vanessa Alyn, Luis, and Freddy (whom they picked up from Mike’s house along with Charlotte) went to Vanessa Shelly and Michael’s house. The whole situation was truly crazy. There were two Vanessas, and they were in a very strange place, but at least that endoskeleton was locked up. That gave Gregory a certain sense of security. He knew that monster would make its move soon, but for now, Gregory could sleep again.