Shivering, you look up to see the neon sign of the plex. Though it''s been your full-time job for 5 months now something about staring up at the huge letters of "THE FREDDY FAZBEAR PIZZAPLEX", felt ominous.
Maybe it was because you hadn''t been here in a week, having taken the previous days off for a brief vacation. Not that you didn''t like your job, but everyone needed a break once in a while. Maybe it was the thick winter jacket, ski-pants and boots that covered you. Maybe it was the fact you were standing in -25¡ãC cold, winter wondering why you hadn''t frozen to death yet.
Whatever the case and hoping you don''t catch a cold you pull the security card out of your breast pocket, lanyard dangling from it and press it to the badge by the door. A plastic card, one side contained information about the Plex and where to return the card if lost. The other one displayed a photo of you, some random information and your job title, "MASTER TECHNICIAN". In your mind it probably should have just read "CARETAKER" because most of the time that''s what you felt like you were doing.
But again, you didn''t complain. If you really had a problem with the job, you would''ve just gone freelance again.
Stepping into the plex you''re greeted by the familiar sign of retro 80s inspired aesthetic and faint smell of pizza and that new car scent.
Nobody was running up to greet you, the act in itself unusual. Many a time one of the animatronics were waiting at the entrance to request your help.
With a sigh you undo your jacket, revealing a simple dress t-shirt, buttoned up but slightly wrinkled. Dress code policy wasn''t that strict but tonight you felt it necessary to at least dress well. After all, it had been a few days since your last appearance.
In front you see the familiar golden statue of Freddy, an animatronic bear holding a microphone, likely in the middle of a solo. Around him was a fountain, water spurting out the spouts and an uncountable number of coins in it. Passing it you start climbing the stairs, making for the employees only door atop the stairs.
You recall your first entrance here months ago, taken aback by the flashy lights and zany designs. Never heard of Fazbear Entertainment either, just that it was some random fast-food franchise. You knew they were also the subject of a few investigations, rumours about people missing and strange happenings at some of the locations. But other than that, and with encouragement from the representative you first entered the plex with a blank slate.
At the time it worried you, especially when you also found out you weren''t even the first technician they hired, that the others were chased off or worse. But again, blank slate.
Then 5 days later you found yourself the conclusion of an animatronic murder investigation, hypnotized by some green bunny, fighting for your life with a giant purple rabbit, spider DJ thing and against an army of robots as you ascended the arcade. Amongst everything you faced in those 5 days you thought you should have quit.
Though despite all that you grew infatuated with the place. Sure, it was dangerous, but the animatronics were charming and fun to be around. Your co-workers were pretty enthusiastic too. The steady income also beat having to advertise yourself and take sketchy freelance gigs. No more roller coaster-climbing was all the reminder you needed to not go freelance.
Plus, that huge battle was a one-off thing. The plex had calmed down a lot since then. It didn''t mean the place was safe, far from it but at least nothing had tried to kill you since that day. You check your pockets. Everything still in order.
One security card giving you access to most of the plex.
One phone with a 10,000mAh battery, effectively making running out of power an impossibility. It doubled as a flashlight, the phone you were proud of, especially with how often you heard guards had to recharge their ''Fazbear flashlights''. So far, you''d never had your phone die on shift. Management wanted you to use their flashlights though as you worked alone most of the time they ultimately didn''t care.
You at least wore a ''faz-watch'', a company-branded ''communication'' device based off, well, a watch. Complete with a video screen you knew it worked off some peer-to-peer connection and allowed you to remotely call any animatronic or employee in the plex, so long as they were present. You also made some modifications to it, allowing it to charge off your phone. Zero chance of it dying on shift.
And lastly, one tazer, consumer-grade. It had come in handy a few times having to zap animatronics and such. Considered a weapon you were given special authorization to carry it into the plex. Officially, the papers said you needed it to work on animatronics, treating it like a defibrillator.
You also carried a backpack full of tools, wires and goodies. A walking chop shop, one of your co-workers joked to you about. Though unlike a chop shop you didn''t disassemble the ''machines''.
Officially, your job was to repair, manage and provide upkeep to the animatronics, equipment and really anything relating to the word ''hardware''. Thankfully they had a team of programmers offsite to troubleshoot software issues. At most for them you''d have to go and manually flick off a switch, other works not ''qualified'' to do so.
Passing through the employee entrance a few bots roll past you, simple designs, they each only served one purpose. The designers had taken great care to automate many actions of the plex. Various helper bots rolled around the plex, ready to answer any questions anyone had. Some bots distributed maps, some performed janitorial duties, and some just plain kept the place populated.
Of course, hiccups did happen, but plenty of employees were always on hand to help the animatronics out, acting as caretakers like yourself. Though not many had the technical expertise you did. So, when it came to the ''important ones'', only you were allowed to touch.
There were 7 animatronics that you were to care for above all else.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
5 of them were members of the eponymously Fazbear 5, a rock band consisting of Freddy the Bear, Roxanne the Wolf, Monty the Gator (don''t call him Montgomery), Chica the Chicken and Bonnie the Bunny, the most recent* member.
* = Recent as in was on a hiatus, more on that later.
All styled after the 80s they played a fusion of Glam rock, glam metal and even lately, some progressive and psychedelic sounds. They''ve been experimenting more recently.
The other two animatronics were the DJ, who ran the arcade and Sun and Moon, two animatronics in one. They ran the daycare. Aside from Sun/Moon they all towered over you, especially the DJ, a monster even amongst the other animatronics. From what you learned they were relatively recent additions to the plex, added sometime after the original 4 animatronics.
That''s the main thing that made the job different from all other gigs you worked on. Despite the plex swarming with animatronics those 7 proved themselves capable of rational thought, problem solving, the mirror test, really the whole spectrum of a Turing test. Vanessa, a night security guard explained that one, she didn''t know how/why they were so smart and two, to just treat them as actual people and not some machines. You accepted the premise rather quickly.
Being someone who specialized in machines you often found yourself speaking to them as if they were real. This time they could respond back.
That''s where the ''caretaker'' label came from. The animatronics, in spite of their intelligence could often diagnose problems on their own. So instead of a technician you became like a doctor or therapist, being the one to treat their problems and issues. In a lot of cases if there were a dispute between them, they''d come to you or the nightguard. Sometimes it felt like dealing with children...huge children made of metal that could''ve easily taken you out. A few times they came close too.
So, then the job mostly consisted of getting / seeing who needed help and working with them for the night, doing daily check-ins with the others. Aside from physical stuff you also acted as a shoulder to lean on, often listening to the animatronics¡¯ problems. Roxanne vent about the staff touching her hair or Monty complaining some employee looking at him funny.
In the end, while it may have appeared cumbersome you enjoyed it.
When you first started it was just a freelance gig. One simple task. They had a destroyed animatronic and wanted you to fix it. That animatronic was Bonnie, a bassist of the (at the time) Fazbear 4. He was ''slain'' under mysterious circumstances and replaced by Monty. Though it took a bit of elbow grease, a few confrontations with Monty, an all-out war in the Plex, and animatronic fighting animatronic you resurrected him, the purple bunny re-joining the band as they reformed into the Fazbear 5. In the end you found out it was Monty who killed the rabbit, though the reasoning of that murder was more complicated than a jealous gator. Either way what''s done was done and Monty and Bonnie co-existed peacefully.
Now a few floors up you find yourself atop Roxanne''s area, the raceway. You looked down. She was present though hard at work on her pirate ship. Despite her incessant care for appearances, she sported an extreme DIY-streak. Even on the first night you met her she was busy working on a kart, having trouble because her paws were too large to fix some screw.
As for the pirate ship, she became enamoured with the concept of pirates last Halloween, deciding that her area would now sport some seafaring themes. Done so without input from the execs they let her go crazy, Roxanne wanting everything to be the exact way she wanted it. After all, she was the best designer at the plex.
Though the plex listed her as a the "rambunctious Roxanne wolf" she was one of the calmest of the animatronics...unless you asked her about who the best of anything was.
Figuring you''d see her later you pass by her area, entering a hallway of offices. One office was reserved for you, though you barely spent time there. Name plague on the door underneath a frosted glass window you pull out your keys and unlock it.
Stepping inside you find it exactly as you left it...almost. Ignoring the ''elephant in the room'', the office contained two bookshelves on either side of the room containing various reference material and parts, a few pictures on the walls, a large wooden desk with your laptop and charger sitting atop it and two chairs, one behind the desk for you, swivel, and a plain chair for any guests. For the animatronics you had purchased a large beanbag chair. It sat in front of the desk too.
A coat rack sat just beside the door, in front and blocking a large picture of concept art of the plex. Curious you took it off one day, finding a safe behind it. Currently, you didn''t know what it contained, your boss just remarking it was for emergencies. The plex was teaming with secrets, and you weren''t the least bit surprised about it.
Placing your coat on the rack and bag down you settle into your desk, opening up a laptop and doing the first e-mail checks of the night. Let''s see what I missed.
Welcome to Pop Goes the Balloon! This is a sequel to the other FNAF book on my page, Ol'' Big Ears. That said, you don''t need to read it to know what''s going on here. That''s why there''s a recap above.
If you want a complete summary of Ol'' Big Ears then read this next paragraph, otherwise just skip to the next one. Here we go! If you want a complete summary of the first book and where we''re at here we go. The SB-10 Incident occurs, the plex is burned down, most of the animatronics destroyed and Freddy and Vanessa gone. A private investigator is hired to figure out wtf happened. The investigator finds Gregory, Freddy''s head and Vanessa and they are re-instated to help fix the plex (after they were partially blamed for it). The plex is rebuilt, Gregory''s work in the plex is rewarded and slowly, things actual return to normal. A year later the body of one of the slain animatronics, Bonnie is found. After going through a series of mechanics you are hired to fix that purple bunny. You do so, igniting a series of events, a murder mystery, a mind-broken crocodile and hypnotic trigger in the animatronics. All of this resulted in a siege that you, Bonnie, Gregory and Moon launch a white bunny and her army of robots. All of this culminated in an event called the "Meltdown Incident". There. That''s Ol'' Big Ears in a nutshell.
While Ol'' Big Ears was based off Security Breach, this book is based off Ruin. With how far Ol'' Big Ears diverged from Security Breach this is gonna only be loosely related to Ruin. Every character from Ruin will appear here. This story will only feature one crossover (though it''ll only appear in 1-2 chapters and not major enough to list. It''s also from something that''s over 40 years old. Don''t worry. It''s impossible to guess what it is.
Before I continue, I just have a few things I need to put here for any new readers. I''m still playing with the idea of making parts of the story interactive. There may be a poll at the end of some chapters that could change the plot. Maybe...We''ll see. As the main character is supposed to be the reader I like the idea. (There won''t be any for this preview though). After having taking suggestions for my FNF book (which inadvertently changed huge parts of the plot) I''ve really like the idea.
Unlike the last book this one is split up into Jobs that may span multiple nights or not. Each job focuses on a task given to the main character at the start of each night. For AO3 each job will be posted as a separate story. They can be read on their own though there is a continuation between them. I won''t say anything about the jobs, but Job 3 is my favourite because of how absurd it is. If a "next chapter" statement is bolded it means the chapter has a ''boss fight''.
If you don''t like to use the (your/name) when you''re reading as I do, the character''s official name is Red or The Technician.
(note for Fanfiction.net) As Fanfiction.net filters out URLs in documents you won''t see any here. You can always just look them up if you want. They''re all on YouTube.
I am still a little unsure about the book name. For now, I''m going to go with Pop Goes the Balloon but if you see me randomly change it to Big Bushy Tail that''s why. Plus, after asking a few friends the votes for BBT and PGB are equal.
The last two chapters of OBE (?x? and BuN) will appear later in the story but modified. Those were just previews after all.
The next chapter and first job will be called Chicken Run.
Job 1x1 - Chicken Run
"You didn''t drink any syrup did you?"
Now Playing...
Artist: Corker / Conboy
Song: In the Dust and Haze
He always knew more than everyone else. For one he knew fixing Bonnie would lead to the meltdown incident and he expected that outcome so much that prior to that night bought insurance in-case anything malfunctioned. The claim paid off all the fallout of that night.
With how mysterious he acted you wondered if he knew that it was Monty who killed Bonnie in the first place.
However, despite his distance and hands-off approach he never acted evil and whenever you asked would explain anything needed. He seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of not just the plex but Fazbear Entertainment as a whole.
Hell, when one Roxanne suddenly had a ''pirate revelation'', he remarked that he was surprised she didn''t dive into the aesthetic earlier.
While continuously deleting e-mails you started to wonder why things were so quiet. Not a single call yet. If there was one thing you learned about the plex was that quiet == bad. It meant things were brewing in the background, harsh schemes and grand plots. After all, it was that meltdown incident when the plex went into lockdown that everything was so quiet. Not a single e-mail relating to Chica''s body being in your office either.
Getting to some e-mails that mattered you pick the most recent one.
FW: Chica''s arm knocked loose in shipping accident.
Hello,
Chica''s arm joint was damaged after a palette''s edge fell on it while she was on the ground picking up fallen bread. We''ve used some bungie cords for a makeshift caste, but someone needs to screw her arm in better. She''s unable to bake as efficient. Complains it hurts and it getting irate about it not getting fixed properly. Please work on asap.
~ Manager of Food and Drink
Just below it is another message from today, sent directly from Chica...?
HELP!
I was baking and spilled maple syrup on my arm! It''s all sticky and I can''t get it off and it''s getting on my hands and stuff. Hurry up and get here I can''t bake like this!!!!
Thoroughly confused it appeared that Chica was alive. At least, was alive at least one hour ago.
You struggled to think how exactly a palette would have fallen in such a way for it to directly smash her joint but shrug it off. Weirder things have happened.
One quick check of the Faz-watch indicated Chica was at her bakery, located on the main level, past the party hall. She was moving around, indicating she was alive. With a ping she answers immediately.
"W-wait! Hold on!" You could see from her watch she was fiddling with something. Blurry from the movement you just narrowly make out her throwing something. After some more fidgeting, what the hell was she doing? She finally faced you, beak taking up half the camera. You guess she wasn''t consuming garbage, or at least wiped her beak prior.
"(Y/N)! You''re back!" She said cheerily. "Finally!"
"Yes, how are ya?"
"Terrible! You know they broke my arm!? Last time I help them unload! And I got all this syrup on my other one!"
She held the watch down showing off her arm. The animatronics arms were build of three pieces: an upper piece, a lower arm and a spherical joint connecting the two. The joint was crumbled, cracked and pieces missing. Instead, a few bungee cables and hooks were jammed into the parts of the arm that ended. With how tightly they had formed the bungee cords, you could see cracks starting to form on the arm plate. You could imagine the hooks were probably interfering with internal wires too. Suffice to say, it didn''t look comfortable.
"Geez."
They acted as a makeshift case and just barely allowed her to move her arm around. "Alright. Stay put I''ll come by. Just a joint right? Those hooks affect any wiring?"
"I don''t think so. It feels weird if I move my arm though."
Pack some wires, then. "Right then. I''ll be there in a bit. Hang tight. One other thing Chica, what''s this body doing in my office?"
"O-oh, yeah I found it while cleaning."
"W-what? How did you find a body, and where-"
"Look, I was just exploring my area, found a sewer area, found a discarded Chica shell thingy. Can you please just get here?! I''m so behind on my baking, planning, everything!" Chica declared anxiously before hanging up.
Looking at the destroyed Chica only rose more questions. Though, if Chica were murdered and replaced you would''ve known about it. Shoot, you knew that half the animatronics would''ve found a way to contact you regarding it. You realize one thing could prove the correct Chica. Checking the ''corpse'' you look at the inside of the top chest piece, seeing a small serial number imprinted on it. Checking the numbers against the last time you helped Chica the serial numbers didn''t match. This was likely another Chica, somehow. More investigation was needed. For now, you decide to go help the other Chica.
On both sides of your office were two large shelves. One side contained a combination of random reference material, guides and books regarding the plex. You never really read any of it, instead just letting it occupy some shelves. The opposing shelf contained what most of the animatronics referred to as the ''one-stop-shop''. While a large bookcase it contained no literature. It was heavily stocked with spare parts, wires, tools, gadgets and bric-a-brac. Though you had a second office in the plex''s ''parts and services'' department that now just contained more specific pieces. These pieces were the most commonly used.
Indeed, scanning the shelf you pick up a spare balljoint, some wires and a bonus arm plate (just in case those cables did some structural damage). Packing them all in your backpack, along with some tools you were off.
Before you depart you take one last look at your laptop. One thing you wished this ticket system did was sort by location, that way you''d be able to see what other jobs you have to do in the area. With a few increasingly annoying searches of keywords in that area you find one ticket.
"One of the control pipes for hot water to the bakery is on the fritz. Haven''t had cold water for the last few days. Please investigate."
More likely meant for a repairman you decide to take it anyways. Close enough to the bakery you wouldn''t have to travel all over. You assign it to yourself.
Strolling with no particular urgency you head back. Yours and a few other offices were situated in a hallway located above Roxanne''s area. Each animatronic had their own thematic area based around some aspect of their character and fun things to do. Roxanne''s contained a few things. The mainstay was the raceway though in more recent times an alien-themed exhibit and more recently, some pirate ships. Words never really did it justice, but the Plex was a gigantic place. Even despite the all the time you spent wandering many places were still unknown or changing.
Thick suspenders held the walkway in place. Initially designed for repairman to easily access light fixtures above the area it now led to a bunch of offices. At least the suspenders were thick. The walkway never wobbled let alone shook, the foundations of the plex simply not allowing it.
As you walk back you steal a glance below. Roxanne was nowhere to be found, the wolf probably knee-deep in motor oil somewhere. The walkway eventually gave way to a simple platform and staircase leading to the main lobby. It was in here that the plex showed its true colours. Three levels of escalators divided the lobby. You were at the top level a cafe and giant statue of Freddy below.
Despite the undead hour at which you were working the plex was still well lit, massive lights above you shining down. Lights were everywhere from fixtures in the floor and ground similar to movie theaters to ones above providing light in lonely corners. There was one time you were forced to venture the plex during a ''lockdown'' and suffice to write it made the plex a dark and wilderness-like place. From the red walls to the purple carpeting to Fazbear-themed trashcans an amenities this little slice of floor could very well have fit in a retro arcade. A handful of lights remained off lowering the brightness just enough to notice. Though dark spots did exist you knew the place well enough to navigate through them. Plus, nothing was lurking out here currently.
The plex continued in all directions with one path meant to the Daycare, one to the main hall, one below to other attractions and one to your right.
The place on the right was a simple cafe just called the FazPad. Quite possibly the only thing not zany 80s-themed it was just a simple cafe. The thought crosses your mind to stop in there and grab a cup though you decide against it, continuing on. The FazPad was also one of the few ''attractions'' not bound to any animatronic. It was just a place for people (read: parents) to take a break and energize while they''re children poured over the ''faz-map'' deciding where to go next.
Last you heard there were talks of Chica to take over it. It didn''t help she declared herself the "Director of Food and Drink", deciding she was the ultimate tastemaker and sommelier of what the people wanted. The logistics of how exactly she could taste despite, well, being a robot were debatable though you knew the plausible reason.
Continuing on you entered the ''main hall''. When guardians and their ilk finished registering below, they would often enter the main hall. Separate from the lobby this was an even larger room. A massive, cathedral-like room it served as a sort of crossroads for the main attractions. To start off it served as a dining room, an inset area in the middle full of party tables, balloons at each, party hats sitting atop red plates and chairs with stars embedded into the backs. Towards the north a stage sat, neon lights luminating the edges as did the frame around it. This was the centre stage the Fazbear 5 would perform. All around the dining area were entrances to various attractions and locations. Each of the animatronics thematic areas were accessible here, giant signs and sculptures indicating what each pathway held. And despite it''s sheer size a 2nd and 3rd floor both existed leading to other places.
A few bots skated around the place, checking table setups, looking for dust and generally cleaning up. A quick scan of the perimeter showed none of them needed any immediate servicing. Though the plex had plenty of human cleaners the bots main goal were to tidy any missed spots. Not to mention the Plex has always had a history of weird happenings at night. Never know when any needed to cleaned.
Across the spacious room the ''Cakery'' stood. North of Monty''s area and west of the stage this was one of the areas Chica ran.
Stepping into the area the nighttime really shone here. It was dark, no excessive lighting present. Still, with no clear threats there was no issue maneuvering in the dim.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Now Playing...
Artist: K. Yoshimatu
Song: Curios 6
The Cakery, while on paper a bakery, it took a bit to actually get into the bakery. A path of silver gradient triangles led the way on the ground, thankfully providing a bit more light. There were massive blue pipes built into the aesthetic almost forming a gate leading into the baked shoppe.
The bakery contained several parts within. A kitchen in the back, two enclosed counters where employees would bake live and serve treats out display cases behind a section for seating and an area of tables where kids could participate in baking workshops. The only food around were a small box of lollipops and cake pops left out on top of the counter, probably filled with so many preservatives they could stay there indefinitely.
The display cases were barren, any remaining treats either given to employees or sold earlier.
You weren''t sure if there was an exact word to describe the aesthetic they went for. You once heard the term "Retro Memphis" though didn''t know it further.
Chica wasn''t around.
And that weird cupcake. An oversized statue of a cupcake with eyes and an all-around weird face. It just stood there, overlooking the entire bakery like a gargoyle perched atop the rooftop. Just as ominous too. You wouldn''t have had a problem with it if not for the fact it''s eyes were lit up. You didn''t know if there were cameras in there but just having it there, starring into your soul always felt uneasy. It probably looked normal during the day but now it was downright creepy.
There were other ''cupcake''-themed items around too from trashcans to the pictures and cartoons of it on the logo and even some miniatures.
Despite the empty-ness of the bakery two things were readily apparent.
A ''security-guard'' staff bot was rolling around, flashlight out looking for something. Though the plex had actual security guards the staff bots (often stylized as S.T.A.F.F.) would often be the first line of defense against intruders. It spotted your presence though did nothing but pause, doing a scan from afar and detecting your Fazwatch and identity.
The other readily apparent thing was the scent. Hints of a strong berry scent coupled with rising dough and sugar. Muffins, blueberry muffins...maybe with a hint of cinnamon. It was coming from within the back kitchen, presumably where Chica was working hard.
"Chica?! You around here?" You call out.
"In here (Y/N)!" Chica called back from within the kitchen.
With a nod and a shirk past the watchful gaze of that cupcake you pushed past the metal doors, entering the interior kitchen. Far larger and more industrial than the outside this one was covered in metal. No Fazbear-themed things except for a single cart for loose metal parts it was spick and span. Of course, most of that was assumptions as most of the lights were off. Chica, using her eyes as lights had no need for the ceiling fixtures, instead practically baking with a flashlight. You weren''t sure if she could see in the dark, but she had no problem baking blindly.
With a flick of the switch beside you the ceiling comes alive.
Maybe it wasn''t as clean as you initially guessed, the sink piling up with dishes, some spilled batter on the floor and a counter top teaming with ingredients...and just a bit of batter dripping from Chica''s beak. She wiped it immediately, a guilty look flashing across her face.
"(Y/N)! Thanks for coming!" She said, quickly moving past the kitchen''s situation before you could comment. The slamming of the oven door made that clear too.
She rose up, giving a partial view of her, a counter blocking the lower half.
The animatronics were always large, Chica no different. She towered over you, a mass of finely crafted metal, gears and wires. She was a chicken first and foremost though only her beak and simplified talons made that obvious. The tuft of metal hair that sprung out her head and bow attached to it could have been construed as chicken-like. White metal signified where white feathers would be. She had a yellow beak that parted in the centre showing off some fake teeth. At the end of the beak bits were a shiny purple piece of formed metal meant to signify lipstick.
There were streaks of pink on her cheeks, adding to her wild-like personality. She also wore green hoop earrings that hung on the side of her face furthering the old-school appearance. Aside from the large eyes and streaks of pink on her cheeks she did appear ''chicken-like'' (though still very cartoony).
Deep blue eyes that had bright LEDs built into them, that even in the light shone brightly. Sure, the cupcake was creepy but the first time you saw one of the animatronics eyes staring from the darkness was certainly a...hair-raising experience.
The clothes she wore were metal and fitted to her core. She wore a leotard which formed around her body. Pink, the centre part was a deeper shade, matching with her shoulder guards. Part of her aesthetic was ''80s inspired workout video instructor'' which she nailed excellently.
Though she had been recently given the ability to change clothing she was rocking the classic look for now. Her full name could have been Chica Chicken (much like Roxanne Wolf), though you don''t recall her ever being referred to as such.
Her palms were a metal coloured green and pink for each hand, meant to imply she was hearing fingerless gloves, possibly some 80s workout theme.
Though you couldn''t see it currently you also knew she wore mismatched leg-warmers, one with a green cheetah-print pattern and one with a waves of black and a darker pink. They went up to her kneejoints down to the quasi-chicken feet she had.
In the Fazbear 5 she was a guitarist.
You walked around the side, taking a better look at her arm. "You feeling alright?"
"Not really! You gotta get this cord out! It hurts and I haven''t been able to do anything. It''s ruining everything. And there''s all this syrup!"
She showed you her arms. It was a miracle she could bend her arm at all and no doubt doing so exerted great pain. The ball joint holding the arm together was in pieces, nothing but force holding the pieces together. Quite a few of the joint were gone, either destroyed in the impact or hiding somewhere inside her arm. A few bungee cords were hooked into the bottom upper part and upper lower part, using nothing but tension to force her arm together, cracking the arm plate.
Suffice to say, it was a sloppy repair job and probably did more damage than worth. You could even see the tension on the cables forcing the hooks to dig into her arm.
"Wow." You poke at the cable, tugging it a bit. "Hey! Don''t do that. It hurts."
"Sorry about that. But I know I can fix this. Let''s get to my office."
"Nope. No, I can''t leave my muffins. I''m in the middle of baking. Can''t we do it right here?"
Sure, a kitchen was meant to be a sanitary place, but you didn''t want flour getting into her...though thinking on it now, you note that worse things have been inside her. Maybe you were thinking too medically but decide it can''t be too bad. "Alright. Come over here. I don''t have my diagnostics though so I can''t put you under. You okay with that?"
Chica nodded. "Yes. Just make it fast." You lead Chica to a long metal table and had her kneel, resting her arm on the large counter as one would a slap of beef, though instead of a knife you wielded a screwdriver. Up close she smelt of cinnamon, another feature the animatronics had.
When you first started here, she was the first animatronic you who didn''t outright threaten you. It was this action that led you to turn a blind-eye to her quirks. And though you weren''t as close with her as you were Bonnie, you always retained a certain fondness for her. Even after the ''psychological torture'' she underwent during the meltdown incident she still liked you too. Even occasionally ignoring her ''issues'' and pretending you didn''t see her haul some trash away. (If anything, it gave the day employees some work to clean her, thereby creating a reason for them to stick around).
The balljoint came loose as did her arm. You took care to remove the hooks as the bottom part of the arm came loose. With her arm resting on the counter, it didn''t outright fall off. Chica winced a bit at it but otherwise said nothing, eyes watching focused on the oven from afar. Placing the cables aside you begun taking out any loose bits of the smashed joint. Rubber gloves on you took care to avoid electrocution.
To match the fit and energetic appearance, a perky and upbeat personality she had to match. The same kind of positive energy as the late exercise-at-home legend Richard Simmons, beaming positivity and self-betterment.
With the bits removed you got to work on disassembling the arm plates to replace with new ones. These ones were a bit damaged from the hooks and bent but not unsalvageable. It would take a banging or too to restraighten out the metal, deciding it would be better to try and fix these plates instead.
Course like all the animatronics here she had her ''quirks'' as well. Disparagingly you called her an addict. Simply put she was a glutton. And not just regular food but her favourite was garbage. Plex management had gone through extensive work to make sure she could not easily access the garbage from sensors that lock up when she was near to telling all staff to keep watch for her. It made things doubly hard since she ran the bakery. From what you heard she at least kept herself in check during those hours.
Though when she ran baking classes, she would sample to her hearts content. Nobody dared stop her, less they disrupt the class. From what you heard she was recovering and eating garbage less. Still loved regular food, especially pizza.
With a hearty clasp the new arm plate was attached and so was the arm joint. Thankfully the joint had taken the brunt of the damage. Scanning the wires you don''t notice any immediate damage done to them, choosing to leave them be for now.
You at first thought it a glitch in her programming though having now spent many days with the animatronics you knew it just apart of her personality. Nobody was perfect and this was her vice to bear. The only logical explanation you could think of was that she had the ability to taste somehow.
You hadn''t gotten a chance to examine her beak, but you knew she surely wasn''t eating for sustenance. She didn''t even have a digestive system. Scanning through some of her old design docs you found they thought about giving her a compactor through scrapped that idea. Recently you modified her chest cavity so some of the food there would stay there and not spill over everywhere. It made her cleaners job a lot easier.
With the last piece re-attached you ask Chica to flex her arm and see how it feels.
"It feels a bit stiff."
"Should buff right out. You haven''t used your arm properly for what, a few days? Just gotta get used to it."
Being that she had been in pain for the past few days you said nothing about the batter she had been consuming. It probably helped her cope with the pain.
"Now your other arm?"
Chica nodded and presented it. The amount of maple syrup shined under the light. Literally just thick liquid sugar, there was one easy way to clean it. Alcohol wipes, and a lot of them.
"You didn''t drink any syrup did you?"
"Hmph! I would never."
"I''m just playing." You knew she would never do something so stupid. Drinking something that sticky would damage her internals. Though she liked eating she at least knew what would be disastrous to consume. Plus, you didn''t think she liked maple syrup. Using a bunch later and even temporarily taking the arm plate off to deal with the few drops that got in you fix her other arm, Chica ecstatically thanking you.
"So, what are you baking anyways?"
"Bonnie asked me to make him muffins styled after him. So, I''m going with an oat-blueberry muffin. I think he wants to give them to some of his fans. I didn''t add food colouring this batch. The blueberries add enough colour."
It was that level of intelligence they had that set them apart from other ''machines''. And the primary reason you treated them as people and not just ''robots. Even if she learned that from somewhere else the very fact she could ''learn'' was astounding.
You put the finishing touches on the arm as the last bolt pops into place, pocketing the extra bungee cord and putting the new spare parts in your bag.
She flexed her arms, immediately jumping into a hug. "Oh thankyouthankyou!" She said, easily lifting you off the ground into a hug that felt more like jaws of life gripping a car door. Despite being intelligent they also could easily have killed you. Even the ''smaller'' animatronics like the daycare attendant could still pick you up like nothing. Even in your first days you were threatened and attacked by the various band members. It was a miracle you survived each encounter...especially against Monty.
For a few seconds you couldn''t breathe. The smell of cinnamon overwhelming assailing your nostrils with a burning scent.
Breath still running out you tap Chica, the robotic chicken dropping you. "A-Anytime." You mutter.
One quirk of their personality + size meant barely understood their own size and strength, often acting as if you were as durable as them. You didn''t know how the other employees handled them, but it was surprising there weren''t more injuries. Freddy was the only one who understood his size.
"Oh, I know!" Chica shouted. "I got something for you." Lumbering quickly over to she ran to the nearby fridge grabbing something within. A plastic container and a plastic fork.
Handing it over, you get a regular size slice of birthday cake crammed into a plastic container. Typical birthday cake: white icing, vanilla cake, cream in the centre and a smidge of blue icing that once spelled someone¡¯s name on top.
It didn''t look old.
"I was saving it for mysel-er-you! Yeah, I was gonna give it you when you returned. Here you go!"
Ignoring Chica''s slip up you take it and the plastic fork. With the muffins done she returns to her station using her newfound arm. Despite the metal tray previously sitting at 175C she had no trouble just grabbing the tray with her bare hands, loudly inhaling the scent (could she even do that?).
She at least wore an apron, giving off some semblance of professionalism.
"Anything else happen while I was gone?" You ask in between bites. Though cold the cake was still fresh, albeit a bit sweet. The combo of the icing and cream pushed it over the edge. The kind of sweetness children can gorge themselves on.
"Hmmm. Not really. Roxanne''s still building her new attraction, Bonnie''s hard at work on his new area. Freddy''s the same as always..." With a flick of a switch the oven lights turned off leaving you and Chica back under a neon glow. "Oh, Monty and the Attendant were acting weird."
Hoh, boy. If any animatronic acting ''weird'' was worrying it was Monty. He was the only animatronics to successfully kill another. And though under mind control he still held the record for most mentally unstable, even if he was still trying to piece together his psyche.
"He''s just acting off. Like he''s confused or something." Chica added.
"Well, that does sound like Monty."
Chica shook her head. "No, the attendant is acting confused. Monty''s just obsessed over some show. He won''t stop talking about it."
"Oh." While Monty acting up wasn''t out of the realm of normality, Sun and Moon acting up was cause for concern. You make a note to check out the daycare later.
"Nothing bad with Monty though, right?"
Chica shrugged. "I dunno. Seems fine." Her eyes lit up. "So, what are you gonna do now?" She was planning something. You knew that look.
Putting the container down you check your phone. "There''s a burst pipe somewhere around here I gotta fix."
"A burst pipe? That sounds dangerous. You need help with that."
"Uh-huh." You just leave the container on the counter, hoping that cake didn''t belong to someone else. "You wanna help?"
"Oh, no I can''t. That''s too dangerous for me. But if you''re in distress and in need of a hero I''m sure one will come. Burst pipes can be very, uh, dangerous!" She said, almost as if she were reading off a script. "Well I gotta go! Roxanne needs, uh, help at the raceway!"
"But what about the muffin-"
Chica was gone before you could finish, her talons clanking loudly and getting quieter as she ran off, still wearing that apron. You really did want to try one of the muffins, steam rising off as they cooled. Man, they looked good.
The next chapter will be called Avenger.
Job 1x2 - Avenger
"It is I, The Avenger!"
It was just a burst pipe, hardly anything to stress over. But, deciding to humour Chica''s statement about a ''hero'' you wait. She could not have made it anymore obvious anyhow.
With Chica gone that left you alone in the kitchen. Though the muffins looked delicious you try to stave off the temptation. Checking Chica''s location on the watch, she was just outside the bakery not moving much.
If those muffins really were for Bonnie, he would''ve appreciated you not eating them...though on the other hand if you tested them and said they were great he would love that too...He really loved seeing food themed after him. Sodas, cakes, candies and more. After his ''revival'' it was one of the first things he saw fit to do.
He was big on branding. After being ''out of commission'' for so long he wanted to re-stake his ''claim on the plex'', something Freddy and Chica enthusiastically helped with.
Noticing Chica had left the fridge open you go to close it, that sweet scent of rich blueberry and brown sugar hitting your nostrils. Maybe just one bite wouldn''t hurt. You start to reach for the cooling muffins and-
"Ah! Citizen!" A feminine-trying-to-sound-manly voice called out. "You can''t have those! They aren''t for you."
Startled, you turn, seeing an animatronic, one with a strangely similar size, demeanour and appearance another animatronic who was just here. Of course it wasn''t exactly her.
She held two spotlights in either of her arms.
"Just a second, citizen." The animatronic said as she bent down and placed both spotlights behind her, pointed at her. With a flick of the switch on each they came alive, partially blinding you but giving her complete illumination.
"It is I, The Avenger!" She declared, posing heroically.
''The Avenger'' was one of the animatronics, that much was clear. Built of metal, gears and electronics she stood tall. Though while most of the animatronics¡¯ ''clothing'' were just coloured pieces of their body, the Avenger wore actual clothing.
Up top she wore a burgundy-coloured mask, a gold outline around her eyes and around the mask to signify goggles. Her ''tufts of hair'' were done up in the same gold-colour.
She wore shoulder pads, each pad with a series of plastic padding that curved and stretched. To your understanding they were supposed to be feathers though being gold-coloured looked more like she glued a bunch of bananas to her shoulders.
She wore a long-sleaved sweatshirt covered in the same burgundy/gold mixture, a gold line down each arm, the sleaves and a band around her left arm. On front and displayed in a bright yellow sewn on her chest was her symbol.
An eagle, wings spread out, looking particularly pissed. It was clearly supposed to represent her, though looked more like she stole it from a flag. Something about it was distinctly...European.
The sweater looked a little too small for her and where it would have exposed her midsection, a gold belt, gleaming in the light covered the exposure. A yellow jewel in the centre of the belt glowed too, matching her eyes.
She wore sweatpants coloured similarly. Thanks to the lines of gold going right down each leg-side it looked more like trackpants and knowing her, that might''ve been intentional. Gold band around the right leg, opposite to that of the band on the right.
Her feet were stylized to appear as bird''s feet, complete with three toes like birds had talons. The only part of her clothing that didn''t match that Burgundian pattern were the black fingerless gloves she wore on each hand.
With all she wore it concealed her identity well. If there were any other bird-themed animatronics in the plex besides you-know-who you could have been fooled.
Now looking at it head on you realize it was actually a modified wingsuit. The same kind people would jump out of planes and glide with. It even had wings forming an arc from her belly to elbow. Parts of her clothing sparkled, as if lightly touched by glitter.
She referred to herself as The Avenger, Hero of the Plex. Woe to all evildoers and villains! You knew she often spoke a longer monologue she would introduce herself with but didn''t today. What else was known was that nobody knew what her secret identity was...officially. Pretty much all the employees knew who it was. The costume, while it might have fooled children, and the other animatronics did little to hide her form. Even her speech sounded the same, even if she tried to hide that.
It was just too obvious. Not to even mention there was only one animatronic who even was ''bird-like''. It wasn''t like the animatronics looked similar to each other either. Well except maybe Bonnie and Freddy though you knew better than to mention that.
The Avenger specified that she was an eagle, not a chicken. ''Any similarities to other avian-themed animatronics were puuurrrely coincidental''. She had said.
You weren''t sure if this were her own decision or if she developed a whole other personality like the daycare attendants did. You hoped it was just a decision. The last thing the plex needed were more split personalities.
"Uh, hey, Chi-Avenger."
"Yes that''s right! It is I! The Avenger! Not Chica! She''s off...helping Freddy out! But nevermind that. I heard you need help! Well broken pipes are my specialty!"
"Right, well, uh, let''s go then."
"Yes! Let''s go! Chica told me you helped fix her arms. That was very kind of you! It is only right I should help you!"
This was your first official meeting with ''The Avenger'' though you knew she had been ''active'' for some time. You''d seen the posters sloppily placed around. Most of the staff had seen it too.
The Eagle Avenger! Keeping the plex safe one baddie at a time!
To your knowledge this wasn''t planned, nor did management know anything about it. Nay, this was something she and possibly some employees plotted. All of a sudden customers started to hear about a superhero in the plex righting wrongs, teaching kids about fire safety and generally helping out around the place.
And each time Chica would vanish just before the Avenger would show up to save the day. From what you heard the Rep loved the idea instantly, encouraging any employees to let her do her thing. He added that it provided enrichment as well. Well, figuring ''no-harm-no-fowl'', you play along.
With a nod you lead the Avenger down a maintenance room, following your watch as it directed you. You''d seen the Avenger from afar but never really spoke to her. There were always other things going on in the plex. This was the first time you were alone with her.
"Have you, or, er Chica heard anything about this pipe?"
"Yes I have. We haven''t been able to get hot water here for a few days." The Avenger said, voice softening. While she acted into the role well after conversing a bit, she would just drop the ''macho-voice'' forgetting she needed to sound that way.
"How was your, er, vacation? You know, you''re a bit like me. Helping the helpless, animating the animatronics. Righting wrongs!"
"Just for a few days, had to work through some things."
"Well, a hero can never rest! There are always people to be saved!" The Avenger announced, putting on the machismo voice again. You weren''t sure where she got the costume, but man did, she play into it. From what you heard The Avenger was the only ''superhero'' running around. The others weren''t that interested in suiting up. Though thinking on it you could''ve easily seen Monty rocking a cape and goggles, acting as some kind of villain. Come to think of it, this started after Halloween.
You and the Avenger had long left the kitchen, currently traversing the maintenance halls. Long concrete tunnels only interspersed with unlabeled doors, piss poor lighting and random discarded bric-a-brac from outside.
These tunnels contained no theming, nothing to make it the least bit appealing. The kitchen, while hidden from public view at least at had some Fazbear-related objects. Not even the Avenger had bothered putting up posters here. The only Fazbear-themed things around were occasional bins for scrap or garbage with Freddy''s silhouette as a logo on them, triangle around the silhouette.
"Thanks for coming with me...Avenger." You catch yourself from revealing the Avenger''s secret identity.
"Anytime, citizen!" The Avenger replied happily.
There were even some trash cans stylized after the various band members, though long since unused. Even a trashcan stylized after Freddy. At least, you thought so, it looked nothing like him. Just a strange, oversized bear trash can with a huge black nose that looked better suited for a park than a plex.
The pipe was close now.
"So, what''s you''re origin story, anyways?" You ask.
"Origin story?" The avenger stopped.
"Like where you came from, how you got your powers, you know?"
"Oh, o-origin story. Well, that''s a secret right now but I''ll tell you one day!" She declared.
The tunnel maze was also used to transport liquid and cooling across the plex. Large pipes lined the walls containing water, grease, oil or some other liquid. Various numbers were emblazoned on, probably indicating what they contained.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Darker down here, the only people that actually traversed these tunnels were engineers. The tunnels ensnared the whole plex, effectively acting as a way to bypass everything. With your flashlight on your phone and the Avenger''s glowing yellow eyes shining as spotlights on the ground as she walked. The ceiling was completely shrouded in darkness, no semblance of anything that lurked above.
It didn''t help that the tunnels were wide enough to fit a car in as well, so while you and The Avenger marched through it, light only reached due in front, leaving the side walls occasionally cloaked in black.
The tunnels were silent except for each clunky step of the Avenger behind you. She watched you, making sure you didn''t leave her vision. So, when you stepped over a rock, she didn''t notice, bumping into it awkwardly and mis-stepping, catching herself.
You flinch, her misstep sounding like another set of steps.
"No need to be scared citizen! We are perfectly safe. I do not detect anyone around." She said quickly.
This was the location. Glancing up you see it. Something was clearly wrong with the pipe. Steam emerged out of it as hot water tried to course through. Didn''t appear to be a blockage, just that some of the bolts were loose and the pipe lost its connection.
A few droplets were dripping out the pipe, evaporating into vapor as soon as they hit the cooler ground. Suffice to put, it looked too hot to touch. You wonder how they had been working with no hot water for the past week? Were they just boiling water before they used it?
Looking at it high up made you realize you probably should have brought a ladder. Oh well, at least there was a giant eagle with you to help.
"It probably just needs some tightening." On the ground you find a loose bolt, more evidence to support the theory. With all the oddities that had happened in the Plex, your first assumption was that this was foul play. But, looking at it, at least didn''t appear intentional, likely just the result of someone skimping on setup. You take a wrench out of your bag. "Hey Ch-Avenger." You catch yourself again. "You think you could lift me up?"
"Certainly!"
Bending her knees slightly she put both gloved hands in front, ready for you to step on. Her glowing yellow gaze contrasted bright against the dark of the tunnel. Chica always had blue eyes and seeing that she''d somehow changed it on her own was impressive. Especially if she did it herself. Maybe they were somehow separate animatronics?
You step up uneasily, the Avenger easily lifting you off the ground, almost hitting your head on the pipe. Holding the bolt with the wrench you start to screw it in hoping your force could re-align the pipes, hoping the bolt would catch the lower part. It looked to succeed at first, getting stuck immediately after. Ignoring that one you move to other bolts, keeping a free hand on a cold wall just incase. While the Avenger had no trouble holding you up it was keeping balance that proved difficult.
Indeed, it did prove difficult as after a misstep you lose balance, stepping off the Avenger''s hands and falling back down. The action happened so fast you barely had time to realize it when the Avenger, acting even faster grabbed you supporting your legs with one hand, back with the other, wrench landing on the ground, breaking the relative silence.
"Do not worry citizen! I got you." The Avenger said as she placed you down.
"Th-hanks." You take a deep breath.
Bolts were in the pipe and screwed in with sufficient pressure. The issue now where that since the pipes were misaligned that the pressure would eventually warp it further. One good kick is all it would take to lock it right into place.
"You think you can knock that into place? Just needs a good push." You point to the pipe above, noting that it was misaligned.
"Of course!" The Avenger said, voice returning to a more feminine and enthusiastic charm. You were expecting her to jump and punch it, not what she proceeded to do. "Stand back, citizen." She said proudly.
With a swing of the arms back, brief bending of the knees and a leap up she swung herself back, crescent kicking the pipe into place, landing gracefully on one leg, other raised up like a flamingo would. It slammed into place, the pipe clicking into the bolts and steam disappearing immediately. That would''ve been worthy of a pat on the back, though you were more shocked by the sheer agility The Avenger displayed.
"H-how the hell. Since when could you move like that?"
"I know kung fu! I, uh, trained with the masters! Any thief wants a piece of the plex they''ll have to go through me!" The Avenger said fiercely, pointing a thumb to her chest.
Never even minding the fact she could do such a move it was the sheer dexterity she proved, moving that hulking metallic mass of a body into something so graceful. You swear it didn''t even sound like she landed, the way she did it so carefully. Where, how would she have even learned that?
Then it hit you. A little after Halloween, Chica came to you with a strange request. She had a VCR that wanted fixed. You were busy at the time with Freddy and told her you''d get to it, forgetting you promised her. It didn''t seem that weird at time since Monty asked for one too. Later on, she asked for a TV which you helped set up though didn''t make the connection. From what you recall, some employee donated it to her. Had she been hiding that from you? Or you just didn''t spend as much time with Chica as you thought.
Looking at the Avenger posing you realize that should she ever turn she would instantly become one of, if not the most dangerous animatronic in the Plex.
With the pipe fixed you mark it off on your phone, closing the ticket.
"So, what now?"
"Let''s head back to the bakery. I''ll see what else there is to do."
"That sounds like a plan!" The Avenger declared practically leading your back. As the two of you walked you could tell something was on the Avenger''s mind. She was walking with a thumb on her chin, deep in thought.
"Wait!" The Avenger declared, grabbing your arm in a vice grip. Just at a point where the path split you saw something run past. Silent as it moved you swore you heard a giggle echo as it ran by. You couldn''t even make out what it was, only seeing fat amorphous shadow. Had you not been with the Avenger you would have freaked out, though the lack of movement was also because her grip did not allow you.
"Are you alright citizen?" The Avenger asked.
"I, uh, yeah, what was that?"
"I do not know." She said solemnly. "But it would be best if we left from here."
"Yeah. Let''s."
There was one thing you were curious about, even if the question was better suited for Chica. "Hey, Avenger. Do you know anything about Chica leaving, well, a body in my office?" You ask, disregarding how morbid that just sounded.
"Oh, that? Yeah, well I, uh, actually found it. I think you could use it for parts."
"Where?"
"Well, you know, here and there." She said, poorly hiding the fact she was hiding something.
"...Avenger. Where did you find it. You know you can tell me, right?"
"...Fine. I was digging in my area and kind of busted down a wall"
Oh, that''s why she didn''t wanna say. The Facility Manager was going to be pissed. "You won''t tell anyone right?" The Avenger asked. "From one hero to another."
You chuckle. "Fine, I won''t say anything. But they are eventually going to find out you know."
"...Yeah. But I''ll come up with a plan. I''m gonna decorate it! Just as soon as I work out some other things." The Avenger added, mumbling at the end.
Pace quickening you and the Avenger moved back through the tunnel maze, a combination of your phone and her eyes lighting the way. But despite the urgency you found yourself under, the Avenger did not seem alarmed. First you thought it was because she so confident, though looking at her you could tell she was lost in thought again, now mumbling to herself.
"Origin story. Origin story." She said quietly.
"Hm?"
"Hey, (Y/N) what do you think my origin story is-like c-can you guess what it is?" An obvious ploy to get you come up with it you just go direct.
"C''mon, that''s something you gotta come up with."
"Well, I mean-"
"Look. Why do you want to help the Plex? What made you want to become a superhero? How did you get so good at Kung fu? Just gotta throw it together."
"It''s a job that someone has to do. For the greater good." The Avenger said.
"Well, there you have it. Saw all the bad stuff, decided to be a light in the darkness or something. As for why the Avenger, how you learned kung fu, well you gotta figure that out. I mean, you did say you trained with the masters right? I''m sure that''s somewhat true."
"Hmm." She mumbled, thinking it over.
You continued to walk with the avenger, occasionally checking your phone. Anxiety subsiding from the earlier creature you just instead planned your night. There were still a few jobs left you could do, some of which were in the raceway. As you returned to the bakery you decided to go see Roxanne, the Avenger eagerly tagging along.
She hadn''t said much, no doubt still thinking deeply about her origin story. As you exited the bakery and entered the hall her gaze was drawn to some trash cans. Themed after the various band members they all stood beside each other; the one designed after Chica especially meant for compost/organic material. You''d spent enough time with a certain chicken-themed animatronic to know that look. "Excuse me for one second, citizen." The Avenger declared. Perhaps she was getting a little too familiar with you.
"What are you doing?" You ask, arms crossed.
"A superhero has to eat." She said sternly.
Arms still crossed you weren''t phased. "Uh-huh. You know if I didn''t know better, I think I know another animatronic who likes eating garbage. Wouldn''t want others to you know, think you''re like a certain chicken, right?"
"B-but she doesn''t eat garbage anymore!" The Avenger protested. "Me, well, sometimes just a bite but I''m not like her!"
You kept a stern face, not budging. "No means no."
"Well, I helped you earlier. Can''t I just have a bite? There''s a whole discarded cake in here!" The Avenger asked, voice returning to her usual high tone.
Guess all that ''helping for the greater good'' was just mum. As cynical as the idea this ''superhero'' gig was nothing more than a ploy to go back to her old habits you knew she wouldn''t scheme something like that. Too much work.
You did feel you owed her, though you also knew ''garbage'' was an addiction she was trying to quit. When it came to regular food you allowed a bit of leeway, but garbage was a no-no. Especially when she was wearing a pristine outfit like that.
"You''ll dirty your costume." You shot back.
"But it''s all clean in here. There''s practically no other garbage-it would just like eating regular food. You don''t want this food to go to waste, don''t you?"
"No buts. The Avenger shouldn''t eat garbage." Even if she was a superhero you weren''t going to let her guilt you into this.
"...Argh." The Avenger grumbled and paused for a second. "Ah, poo."
The Avenger got up and leaving the trash can walked back to you only to stop again, taking one last longing look at the trash can.
"Oh! I just remembered Chica forgot about the muffins for Bonnie! Sorry citizen! I''ll have to remind her. I''ll join you later. You should just head to Roxanne now." The Avenger said, running off towards the bakery. While you weren''t the type to fall for such tricks, the slick smile she gave as she ran off only tipped you further.
How much of that was her trying to sneak by you or genuine concern about the muffins you weren''t sure. That costume looked expensive too. Even if she were going to change out of it someone would have to clean her. And when Chica ate garbage would just fall out. With that costume out no doubt things would get stained badly. Either way you weren''t going to let her get out so easily. Plus, letting her relapse would be a bad idea. She was the ''tastemaker'' of the plex, something that was only bestowed on her when she got her ''habits'' under control. You weren''t going to let her spiral, especially since you were the ''lead technician''. Chica was your responsibility.
You send off a text to Bonnie, saying hello but also informing him that Chica had something for him. He replies instantly that he''s excited and, on his way, telling you to stick around as well. You make for the trash can, lifting the lid off and tossing it aside. Grabbing both sides of the trash bag you lift it out. Thankfully it didn''t smell of anything and wasn''t that full. With a knot you heave it over your back and make off with it like a sack of gold.
Not much time left you spot one of the cleaning robots moves around. With a whistle and a shake of the bag it wheels by, taking the trash from you and at once replacing the trash can bag. Emitting a few beeps it rolls off, trash bag in hand. Before it could head towards the Cakery and practically hand-deliver it to Chica you catch it. Lifting it off the ground you turn it around, pushing it in the direction opposite.
The plex had various robots used for cleaning and general maintenance. Though they weren''t perfect by any means they definitely made the cleaning crew''s job easier. You just hoped that they would dispose of the trash somewhere Chica wouldn''t get and hopefully not run into her. You watch as the robot instead towards Monty''s area, vanishing into the green haze his safari contained. Yep, no way Chica would be going after it.
Unlike the band members and other special animatronics these were far less sophisticated. All their routines were programmed in, only capable of binary thought and primitive, if any reasoning. The whistle-on-command was something you added to help make getting their attention easier.
Now alone in the hall you look around. No sign of Bonnie or any of the other band members. Just you and a bunch of security robots all across the hall, flashlights in hand.
When Chica would find out what you did, she would be pissed. You really didn''t want to be around for that, hoping at least Bonnie would placate her.
With a bounce in your step and just a little hurry you leave the hall, returning once again to the main entrance.
Roxanne''s Raceway was just down the hall and past the Fazpad Cafe. With how much work she''d been putting into her own area there was bound to be much to help with. The main entrance was just below, symbolized by a giant (fake) golden statue of Freddy holding a microphone.
You barely make it past the cafe before a text goes off on your watch. And then another.
You take a look. It was from Chica.
''THAT WASNT FAIR (Y/N)''
The next chapter will be called One Pissed Off Bird.
Job 1x3 - One Pissed Off Bird
Job 1x3 - One Pissed Off Bird
"What about hide and seek tag?"
Just to make sure she wasn''t charging after you, you take a look at the watch''s location for Chica. She was indeed at that trash can, though Bonnie''s icon was right beside her. You watch as the two icons slowly move towards the bakery. Looks like Bonnie saved you.
With a sigh you continue to the raceway. You weren''t sure how pissed Chica was, but best-case scenario Roxanne would help. And even then, Bonnie could handle her. You stop at the Fazpad Cafe entrance. Like many other nights the lights in the cafe remained off. With quick check of your phone, you look through other ongoing issues in the plex, seeing if anything was wrong here.
Stolen phones, a STAFF bot or two malfunctioning, some criss-crossed wires, crosstalk, or other minor issues but nothing in the Fazpad. You continue on, going through the employee entrance that led to the walkway above Roxanne''s domain.
Roxanne''s area was the ''Raceway'', named after her. One of the largest areas in the plex, it was effectively her ''home''. Its mainstay was a large go-kart course that she consistently dominated (even when staff asked her nicely to lose once in a while for the kids). Another section was stylized as a large sandbox, the likes of which were inspired by aliens and the 1947 Roswell crash. Kids would often dig, find ''treasure'' [coupons for other things in the plex] and build sandcastles.
Surprisingly, cleaning sand out of the animatronics wasn''t actually a problem. Of course, the gritty stuff could get stuck but like sand-in-clothing they could feel when there was a problem. And even then, getting the sand out was nothing a leafblower couldn''t fix.
Currently, part of that area was under construction, Roxanne deciding she needed to spruce it up. She didn''t care much for aliens, clearly. Though the Raceway was connected from the main hall you preferred the employee entrance. It gave you an aerial view of the area, giving you a look over at the whole enclosure.
Before you could take a step into the raceway however, something grabs your attention. A ping from your watch.
''The Avenger challenged you to a duel!'', Chica wrote in a text. A second later another one came in, this time from Bonnie. ''It''s true!''.
...A duel? Nevermind the raceway or Roxanne, you dial Chica on the fazwatch, video call.
"That''s right, (Y/N)!" She declared without an introduction.
"Hihiihi, (Y/N)!" Bonnie shouted. He grabbed Chica''s arm, putting himself in the video screen. He looked as he always did, a purple animatronic rabbit, though holding his face way too close to the screen to the point you couldn''t make out anything but glowing purple eyes.
"Hey Bonnie." You replied. "(Y/N)! Did you see the muffins Chica baked for me? Ohhhh they¡¯re soo cool! They''re gonna be so good in the clinic!" He said, cheerily. He spoke in his usual high-pitched, cartoony voice. He was always happy to see you.
"Yeah I-"
"Oh, you should try one! After the duel!"
"Okay, okay, what duel?"
"Move out of the way you big bunny." Chica said, pushing him out of the way. You could see Bonnie standing behind her, ogling the muffin like it were a jewel.
"I just spoke to the Avenger, and she said she challenged you to a duel! Said that you took my, I mean, her trash away, that she was, uh, going to throw out! And now we¡she wants to make things even."
"You want me to duel the Avenger?"
Duel, as you understood meant take-10-paces-and-shoot, take-swords-and-stab-each-other or even joust. None of those sounded particularly inviting, let alone safe. Maybe she meant with the laser guns? Where did Chica even learn of ''duels''?
"Exactly! And since s he challenged you, she''ll pick the battle."
"Chica I''m sorry about trash but-"
"No butts! She''s challenged you to hide and seek!"
"Oh."
"Scared huh? You should be!"
When it came to Chica making demands, she couldn''t help but sound juvenile. You never said anything, but it always came off as humorous. At least, before she learned kung-fu.
"So, hide and seek, huh?"
"Yep!"
That sounded do-able. The animatronics were terrible at stealth anyways.
"What about hide and seek tag?" Bonnie suggested.
"That''s even better! The Avenger is gonna wanna do that!"
And thus, what should have been a relatively harmless game of just sitting in one spot turned into a full-on chase. And after The Avenger proved how agile she was, catching her would be a challenge.
"I don''t know about that." You mutter.
"So, what about it (Y/N)? Do you accept or are you a turkey?" Chica asked mockingly.
"Alright, fine." You agree, rationalizing that if you refused her, ''The Avenger'' could have challenged you to something worse, like a kung-fu match. Guess Roxanne would have to wait. "Where do you want to do this?"
"In the maze!" She said dramatically, posing heroically, though through the screen just showed Bonnie waving to you.
You thought she had kicked the ''garbage addiction'' but if she didn''t perhaps this would help. "Alright. If I win, no more garbage. And if you win, I''ll, uh, make you a pizza." You add quickly, hoping she doesn''t realize those odds weren''t equal.
Chica''s eyes lit up. "The Avenger will like that! Deal then. Come over and we''ll get started!"
"I''ll referee!" Bonnie declared.
"Alright. I''ll be over there in a minute." You sigh.
With a huff and a puff, you departed, backtracking your steps again to the bakery.
Now Playing...
Artist: Brothomstates
Song: Dekc
She wanted the ''duel'' in the ''mazercise''. The mazercise was a large area that Chica commanded and dominated. Stylized as a combination of a maze and fitness area it was originally just a place for kids to run around in. Those that completed the maze faster burnt calories and would get coupons to various foodstands in the plex.
Recently the area was enlarged and revitalized, giving the maze more space and adding some plex-branded exercise equipment, practically turning it into a gymnasium. It all came in a perfect storm: The Avenger''s heroism, Chica''s passion for exercise and imagery of a lone superhero leaping from rooftop to rooftop. All together it fused into one exercise that was added to the maze.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Parkour.
Under Chica''s watch and some ''parkour experts'' that the plex hired the area had turned into more of a playground than a regular maze. Bars and steps were placed all over to allow people to leap over walls, scale ledges and leap bounds. Though still planned you also heard she wanted pitfalls too (filled with balls...hopefully). Either way you stayed away from the maze, not needing that kind of exercise.
Strategically thinking, hiding be easy, especially at night...but if Chica saw you, outrunning her would be...difficult. You also imagine the thought that Roxanne would dominate this area too but the last thing you needed was to be chased by the wolf. Regardless, Chica had home-court advantage and knew the area inside and out. Hiding and keeping out of sight was the only path to victory.
The mazercise was located sandwiched between the bakery and Montgomery''s area. Reaching it you see a large neon sign embossed into the wall reading MAZErcise, a subtitle displaying "Chica''s delicious path to fitness!". A frosted glass window hid the view inside though the fact the lights weren''t even on inside hid it even more. With a sigh you walk up the steps, reaching the entrance.
A carpeted floor of yellow music notes and stars stood below you as you approached. Bonnie and the Avenger were standing outside the entrance as you arrive, both eager to see you. There were a few security bots roaming around, though all knew who you were. They wouldn''t be interfering here.
Thinking on it, you couldn''t see how this could go wrong. Running from the Avenger was one thing but how could she possibly expect to hide? She had glowing eyes, and her servos and wires made noise even while she was idle. Plus, it was night, there wouldn''t be anyone blaring music to mask her idle. So long as it kept quiet there was no way she hides.
You nod to the avenger and say hello to Bonnie.
Bonnie was one of the band members, a large animatronic and slightly taller than Chica. He was a rabbit animatronic, complete with two long mechanical ears that drooped normally. Though upon seeing you they shot right up.
"(Y/N)! Welcome back!" He shouted in a chipper voice.
Complete with his ''hare-like'' appearance he also had two buckteeth that protruded from his upper lip, ''perfect for eating carrots'' he said once. Though he didn''t have the same ''addiction'' as Chica he certainly enjoyed food all the same.
He ran to you, grabbing you into a tight hug and lifting you off the ground. Normally the sight of a 2+ metre robotic rabbit running towards one would be terrifying. Especially since he had his arms out. Though after having been charged by practically every animatronic in this place, it didn''t faze you much.
He meant no harm anyways but like all the animatronics he didn''t have much of a concept of personal space. At least he knew not to squeeze that hard.
His metal was coloured various shades of purple from pale in the ears to a more neutral violet for the rest of his body to a darker purple for his shoulder pads, palms and paws.
After a few seconds of nuzzling your head with his nose he put you down, having sufficiently shown how much he missed you. After concluding with a light pat on the head he stepped back.
Stylistically he often carried a reddish-pink bass guitar, wore a bowtie and dark purple glasses in the form of stars. Tonight, he only wore the bowtie. In addition to the auxiliary gear, he also had a magenta-coloured leopard-pattern pants (really just patterned-metal) on one leg and a black pant on the other leg, on the bottom piece.
He also wore black gauntlets with spikes that matched his black claws, and suspenders that held up his similarly designed belt.
Like Chica he had developed a ''quirk'' though he didn''t appear to be in costume at the moment. Thankfully his quirk wasn''t as rambunctious as Chica''s.
"Oh!" Bonnies said, pointing a finger up. "Look at the muffins Chica made!" With a metal flick, his chest cavity popped open, splitting into two pieces. Inside were an assortment of wires, servos, gears and mechanical bits. You knew what each one did and could do, though that was not the reason he opened it.
Meant for transporting cakes or gifts, Bonnie instead pulled out a muffin, the same ones Chica had baked earlier. The oh-so tempting blueberry muffins. Chocolate muffins as a base, there were visible sapphire streaks of blueberry, practically sparking under the neon sign. "You should try one!"
Before you could reach out, a certain bird intervened. "No." The Avenger said. "We can eat later. For now, we got a score to settle!"
"I''m adding a goal." You declare.
"Hm?"
"If-When I win, I want some of those muffins."
"Oh, you''re so on. You know what, here. Take one for now. But don''t eat it. How about you see what I have to deal with on a daily basis." She nodded to Bonnie as he tossed you the muffin, wrapped in plastic. You stash it in your pocket, once again cut off from that alluring desert.
With a roll of your eyes you asked, "So what are the rules for this?"
With a finger point, Bonnie explained it all. "It''s best of 5 rounds. Each round one of you will hide and the other will seek. It will swap each round. Whoever has the most wins after is the winner! The seeker will count to 60 and the hider has to stay hidden and not get tagged for 5 minutes. You can be found but if you don''t tag the other person that doesn''t count. No leaving the maze! No combat! And no cheating! You can only use your eyes. You survive for 5 minutes, and you win the round." Bonnie declared, proud of himself.
You nod in agreement. They were fair.
"You should take your watch off citizen." The Avenger said, arms crossed.
"Huh, why?"
"Because you can track us with it. It''s not fair if you can tell where we are."
"I won''t do that. Honestly." You speak.
The Avenger wasn''t convinced, eyes narrowing.
"I''ll be watching, Avenger." Bonnie said. "I''ll make sure (Y/N) doesn''t peak at the watch." He turned to you. "You better not look at your watch." Bonnie said, pointing to you.
"I swear I won''t."
"Fine." The Avenger said.
"I''ll head up to the gallery. Good luck you two!" Bonnie said, practically skipping away. You and the Avenger stepped into the mazercise. Despite it''s upgrade you still weren''t too familiar with it. You got enough exercise from occasionally having to run from the animatronics you didn''t need more. The maze had its own ''technical team'' anyways.
The outer ring of the maze stood a bit higher than the maze, allowing any onlookers to see the whole thing. Though you knew better than to cheat and use the platform to spot The Avenger, you hoped she wouldn''t get any ideas from it. Down a few steps lead to 3 open paths to start the maze in, each one leading to its own dead ends. Completing the maze wasn''t the goal this time, it was to stay hidden.
"I''ll count first. Won''t matter though. I know this maze like the back of my beak. I will find you~" To hear such confidence come from Chi-The Avenger was a little surprising. Usually, it would be Roxanne or Monty dishing out the trash talk, not the ''avian animatronic''.
You wind up a snarky comeback for The Avenger but looking at her you see her eyes shining a bright red as she grinned.
"This is gonna be fun!" She said cheerily, eyes flashing back to normal. Red eyes were a feature all animatronics could do. But it was mostly reserved for Halloween...or when they turned evil. She was clearly doing it to screw with you.
When the maze was first built it was a large room with interchangeable floor tiles and walls, each ''contestant'' meant to run through it. Those still remained but were far more modular, making any memorization of the path impossible. Bonnie, up in the viewing gallery could also change it at will. You hoped he wouldn''t.
The walls each displayed graphics of all the unhealthy food players were meant to be burning through as they ran. You weren''t even sure if the plex had any health-conscious options. The soda fountains at the end of the maze certainly weren''t helping restore any electrolytes. Regardless, when the maze was updated, those pictures stayed. The walls of the maze stood 2 metres tall and covered in designs of lollipops, chocolate bars and other candy. The walls fit into groves in the ground allowing for easy movement.
While the lights were dimmed upon entering, they suddenly turned to full blast, nearly blinding you. The lights were a damper but long as you kept quiet and out of sight, hiding from her was still possible.
Above the maze, suspended from the ceiling was an operational gallery, console for modifying the maze, playing music and of course, messing with the lights. Looking up you see Bonnie up there, microphone in hand and waving to you and The Avenger.
Around the whole maze were rows of seats, a seating area for less-exercise-interested parents to watch their kids¡¯ run marathons. The Avenger was getting into it, arms out as if we she were egging on a crowd.
Though the maze originally contained different coloured areas, days of re-arranging the wall and floor tiles had turned it into a mishmash of colour, more confusing than an abandoned Rubik¡¯s cube.
Interrupting your thoughts, a text message rings off on your phone. "I don''t know what you''re doing but good luck. Looks like you''re gonna need it." Vanessa wrote. You hastily reply thanks, going back to studying the maze.
Aside from the size increase and parkour nightmare, the update added two other things to the maze. Firstly, exercise equipment (Fazbear-themed). Some of the dead-ends had them, whoever finding them in the maze expected to do a few reps to get points. You had no intention of doing either and already knew The Avenger wouldn''t be. The second was a series of poles, steps and ledges that allowed some people to jump over walls and bypass parts of the maze. Blue mats were situated on the ground in those, just in case anyone fell incorrectly off them. And since the maze was larger, hiding from her should be easier.
"Who should count?" The Avenger asked.
Mind full of strategies, you ask her to. She nods in agreement. "Sure. Let''s count this as a warmup." She said, mockingly. Simply put, you knew you could evade The Avenger. You would just have to burn a lot of calories to do so.
"You two ready?!" Bonnie shouted from above.
"Born ready." The Avenger said.
"Yep. Let''s go." You said, getting down into a sprinter''s position.
"Then start counting!...whoever goes first." Bonnie said. An air siren let ring from above the maze, startling you. A quick glance up said all that needed to be said, Bonnie appearing meek with a slight ''sorry'' wave.
With a nod, The Avenger turned around and covering her face started counting. You drop your bag.
"60, 59, 58-"
With no particular direction you bolted off, a gallery of light blue, emerald green, pumpkin orange, water blue and more flashed by as you ran.
"57, 56, 55, 54, 53..."
The next chapter will be called Run Raptor Run!
Job 1x4 - Run Raptor Run!
Job 1x4 - Run Raptor Run!
"Found you!"
Now Playing...
Artist: Xaser Acheron
Song: Welcome to Die
A kick off the ground and running madly you start traversing the maze. The goal was not to complete it but hide from The Avenger. She knew the maze damn well and the only advantage you had was that you could be quieter than her. Even though the lights shined above like any other stadium your dark clothing and ability to crouch would cover that.
The plan was already figured out as you ran, keeping your breathing in check as the Avenger counted down.
The walls were 8ft tall, randomly arranged and covered in pictures of food on them. Lollipops, bags of chips and the sorts of things you wouldn''t consume in a gymnasium. Some walls had rails on them attached for traversal. Grabbing one and proving your upper strength you practically vault up and over, just as you hear a shout from the entrance.
"Ready or not! Here I come!"
You land in a peninsular section, three walls on your sides and one back. A deadend. A set of barbells sat on the ground, chained to the walls. It was here that participants were expected to do bunch of curls or something for points. You duck in the corner, trying to peer through the cracks in the walls, looking for that giant bird.
You hold your breath, or at least try to balance exasperated breathing and staying silent, practically doing it manually now. After all, Bonnie was the one with super-hearing, not Chica.
The Avenger wasn''t visible for a few seconds. Then she leapt atop the wall, hand on her forehead looking around. Did that count as cheating? Her eyes had changed to a bright red.
This alarmed you slightly, the possibility of Chica being corrupted and using this as a way to take you out. But she could do that at will. You look up, finding yourself beneath the viewing box above, Bonnie standing there, watching the Avenger ecstatically. You also knew that if anything happened, Bonnie would have no qualms against smashing the glass and jumping into the maze. You hope that she wasn''t possessed.
You turn away, stepping away from the crack, hoping she couldn''t see you through it.
You hear her jump from wall to wall, slowly scanning the nearby area. Those walls were far stronger than they looked, easily supporting her weight.
Bonnie was still in the viewing both, both hands on the glass, jaw ajar in awe at the match. Crap. Bonnie was looking right at you, occasionally switching glances to The Avenger, looking with amazement. Would she even be that clever? With your watch you hastily type up a message and send to Bonnie.
''stoplookingatmeyourgivingawaymypositoin''
Bonnie takes a second to understand but stops, immediately glancing up and whistling as if pretending to be innocent. He couldn''t be any more suspicious. "Thanks Bonnie! Now I can find this evildoer!" The Avenger shouted. Oh yeah, they practically had photographic memory. She must have seen Bonnie.
Time to run.
She was moving fast, practically leaping from wall to wall. The sounds her landing and shaking the walls grew louder as she approached.
The goal wasn''t to hide anymore. It was to somehow outrun a giant mechanical bird for sub-5 minutes.
How in the- Running fast, you spot a part where one could crawl under the wall. Perhaps another shortcut you don''t mull on it, practically diving under it and getting out of sight.
"Huh. I could have sworn..." The Avenger glanced up, Bonnie just shrugging in response. "(Y/N)? Where did you run off to?" She asked, voice returning to her usual tone.
You crawl a bit to get away from the hole, staying low while looking for a different hiding position. You needed another dead end. Staving your breath you listen in for The Avenger. Even if she was trying to be stealthy she made enough ambient noise for it to be impossible.
"You know there''s only one other person who could hide this well? That little boy. And you aren''t him." The Avenger said tauntingly. Judging from her she was a little ways away. With as quiet a sigh as you could muster you sit down, giving your heart some rest.
As the clock ticked you waited with baited breath. The Avenger was lurking somewhere around. Her stomping could be heard in the distance, a ways away, possibly trying to scare you with how much noise she made. So long as it remained distance you kept still. Occasionally you glanced up at Bonnie. He was watching The Avenger''s position now, his eyes only occasionally meeting yours. He had his hands pressed up on the glass watching.
*RING RING* A jingle started playing. The first thought was that you won but the vibrations on your hand shot that down. Your watch was ringing.
"A-ha!" The Avenger shouted from across the maze.
Frantically you hit the decline button, only briefly seeing the caller''s name as VANESSA. You started running, figuring the position blown, praying to anything that you didn''t hit a deadend.
CINEMATIC01 - Vs. The Avenger
Animator: Me
"Found you!" The Avenger shouted as you heard her land behind you, sound of her metal joints wheezing in anticipation.
You briefly turn around, seeing The Avenger perched atop a wall like a gargoyle, eyes wide in excitement.
"You can''t outrun me!" The Avenger said happily. "I''m the master of exercise!"
No more turning back you start running, trying to ignore your breath running thin. Between the metal clanking behind you, trying not to hit deadends and even looking for shortcuts you barely make out Bonnie counting down. It had to be in the last minute.
Just as you turn a corner you nearly trip, reaching a deadend, a pile of jump ropes sitting there for contestants.
In the instant, three things happened. You quickly turned back, noticing now that the clanking had stopped, a shadow flew over your head and landed behind you on top of the jump ropes. Realizing too late you trip, landing on the ground just as The Avenger landed on the next tile, standing upright and fortuitous.
"Aha!"
Even as you tried to back up she was faster practically leaping and stepping on your leg with her chicken/eagle claw. Thankfully it didn''t hurt but you were caught.
"You can''t stop a superhero!" The Avenger declared as she stepped off, offering a hand to help you up. With a puff you take it, taking deep breaths now that you could relax.
"So close!" Bonnie shouted from above.
"Hm. I''m gonna be having my just deserts soon enough." The Avenger said happily. "I told you to take that watch off."
"Yeah, yeah." You say to The Avenger as you two return to the entrance again, resetting the run. Checking your messages a new one had arrived from Vanessa, telling you to check SCTASK241850. It was one of the jobs, though you had no idea which one.
Back at the start Bonnie spoke. "Are you all ready?"
"Yep."
The Avenger nodded.
"Then go!" Bonnie shouted with glee.
"Good luck finding me. I blend in here more than yellow on pizza!" The Avenger gloated.
You don''t reply, instead turning back and starting to count.
"60, 59, 58..." You heard The Avenger scampering off. Finding her should be easy. It was a matter of actually catching her. She was one of the most acrobatic animatronics, only bolstered by her mastery of the maze and ''love for fitness''. She wasn''t the fastest but she was agile. So long as she could dodge well catching her would be impossible. Gotta ambush her, you think.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"Ready or not. Here I come." You open your eyes, turn and look around. Up above Bonnie''s eyes were traced on you. Guess he finally wised up. Walking in silence you start following the walls, keeping an ear open for servos and gears whirring. The only way The Avenger could stop her ambient noise were if she turned off parts of her body. But that would reduce movement and you knew her too smart to do that. Just needed to hear that machine stirring and surprise her. With no music playing either she had nothing to hide in.
As you passed walls of junk food and paths branching off into unknown you reach a dead end, a stationary bike seated there.
With a sly smile you climb atop it, using it to get to the top of the wall. Glancing around you spot a golden tuft off feathers quickly duck by one of the walls. And judging from the gap in the walls there she saw you. You continue looking around, playing dumb and certainly not looking at Bonnie.
With a fake shrug you get down and start walking, keeping the general direction of The Avenger in mind. She was near the corner of the maze, doubly ensuring she couldn''t get away. Occasionally looking up or the other way you slowly approach The Avenger''s position.
*RING*
Until you tense up, a familiar ringing on your watch giving away your position. It only rang for a second, the caller quickly cancelling it. Thinking it was Vanessa you get ready to let her have it until you see the caller.
Missed Call - Chica
Oh, she was gonna play it that way, huh? You hear shuffling from nearby, The Avenger back on the move again. You knew you could just attack and try racing up to her but you let her run off. From the quick landing she made you guessed she had moved about halfway across the maze. With a general idea of where she was now you take off your watch, a mischievous plan forming. Getting closer to her position you continue walking nonchalantly.
Walking by one of the walls you hear the faint sounds of gears turning, either with her beside you or the wall over. Keeping watch of the walls you determine she was hiding at a deadend, likely keeping her own ears open for your steps. Placing the watch down you do two things. You text Bonnie a message. "Tell me out loud how much time is left." Then set a 45 second timer on it.
"There is about 2 minutes left!" Bonnie shouted. While Bonnie spoke you picked up the pace, circling the deadend and getting on the other side. Practically ducking by the wall The Avenger was behind you waited for the watch¡¯s signal.
A minute later it rung, alerting the Avenger. You hear her move and leap up, opposite of where the watch stood. Arms ready you watch as she practically jumped up top above you, her attention back at the watch''s location. With a smirk you raise a single hand and grab the end of her pant leg, stretching the material.
"Got you."
"Whoa, wooa!" The Avenger said, losing balance and falling back down into the dead end. Pulling yourself up you see her eyes spinning as she gets back up. "That''s no fair." She muttered. Up top Bonnie was giggling. "It''s a tie so far!" He shouted in-between laughs.
Now Playing...
Artist: Odd Harmonic
Song: Knine
It was The Avenger''s turn to seek now. You left your watch at the entrance of the maze. No more ''baiting'' with it, both you and The Avenger agreed.
Round 3 started a minute after, The Avenger counting loudly and you running off. The plan was identical to the first round, just without Bonnie or the watch giving away your position. You easily found a deadend with a pull-up bar plus ledge and ducked under it, watching through the cracks as The Avenger looked around.
She had changed up her strategy this time, looking more fervently, dashing a lot more and checking each nook. With her increased vigilance it made waiting a lot more worrisome. Occasionally you heard her steps clonk by fast, her taunting "where are youuuuu~" only serving to make your hairs stand on end.
The third time she ran by your wall she stopped. You waited a few seconds, hearing the ambient servos. She was standing right there. You look up, she wasn''t looking down. Wondering if she was looking around you scoot over to the crack in the wall peering.
Had the maze''s light not been at full blast you might have seen a light peering into the crack. Instead, looking there your eyes meet The Avenger''s who had been waiting for you to look.
"He-he." She giggled.
"Whoa!" You stumble back and pull yourself up.
"Now let''s put that excess energy to use!" The Avenger said, jumping up top. All the machismo in her voice was gone, now sounding exactly like Chica, her inner exercise-instructor coming out. "Let''s get those legs moving! Left-right!" She declared cheerily.
As humiliating as it was you kept running. You had to lose her, the question of how at the forefront.
That muffin!
You try to sigh in-between puffs as you reach out. Damn did it look good. With no other option you turn back, seeing The Avenger in the same position, atop a wall laughing.
"Getting tired?"
Arm reeled back you throw the muffin over handed at her, shouting, "Think fast!"
She did, some instinct taking over as she leapt up like a shark trying to snatch it in her beak, landing somewhere in the maze.
"Awww..That one was for you.." Bonnie cried from above.
"Well a, mhm, snack break, is, mhhm always okay." You could hear The Avenger talking in-between bites. You make a mental note to clean her later. The food wouldn''t easily fall out of that suit either.
At least she was distracted now. Taking a few seconds to catch your breath the run slows to a power walk, keeping an ear listening for The Avenger.
With sufficient space between you and The Avenger''s last known position you slow to a walk, avoiding cracks in the wall and keeping close to the ground. Making as little noise as possible you continue moving, peering each corner before moving across it.
A few glances up top to make sure Bonnie wasn''t tracking you and steps you reach another deadend. This one had a bench with a bar above it for simple weightlifting. A poster behind it read to always have a spotter.
With no sign of the Avenger you take a seat on the bench, catching your breath. Now it was time to wait and hopefully win the round.
"You know, rests are always good to take! Allow your body to heal from the workout!" The Avenger said cheerily. It made your hair stand on end. Getting off the bench you kneel down, ear to wall as you listen. She was walking around, the sound of her talons hitting the ground with each step. She was purposely stepping harder.
You had no idea when she became so...predatory but this behaviour was most unexpected.
You take a deep breath, realizing you were practically hyperventilating. Chica wasn''t the one who had good hearing. That was Bonnie.
"But sometimes you gotta know when to get more reps in." The Avenger said cheerily.
You got up, she was really close now. Probably two rows over.
"And you just need the right...MOTIVATION!"
You run forward as you hear her land behind you, knocking the bar over. You turn, seeing her usual beaked smile, eyes still red.
"How about some deadlifts?" She said as she picked up the bar.
You stepped back and ran as if your life depended on it, a second wind emerging.
"That''s right!" She shouted behind you. "Cardio! That''s good for the heart!" She was enjoying this way too much.
As you ran she stopped taunting, now on the move. From the leaps and large steps she was either skipping or hopping from wall to wall behind you.
Darting a right and then a left you hit a dead end, a pole at the middle of the end meant for pull-ups. Not even thinking you run up to it, grabbing it and leaping over the wall. I''m gonna be sore after this, you think.
"Nice moves!" The Avenger said.
You look in horror as you land into a one-way path, The Avenger standing at the end in a football position, ready to take you out.
"How about some wrestling?" She said, voice as excited as ever. "Burn a lot of calories that way."
Mind and body acting on pure adrenaline now, one thought hits your mind.
Charge her and do a wall jump over the wall to the left.
If such things were even possible were a matter of latter discussion. Charging The Avenger you attempt to juke her and kick off the wall. Instead, your foot slides off and you land on your back. In that same movement The Avenger let out a guttural roar as she leapt forward, flying over your now on-the-ground and in pain body. Landing elsewhere and shocking your body even more an air horn lets off above.
"And time!" Bonnie shouted, continuing to mash the air horn button.
You just lie there, exhausted and damn near scared to death. Staring up you see The Avenger walk by, entering your view. She stopped, staring down.
"Are you alive? Do you have brain damage?" She asked, bending down.
"I-I''m fine." You sputter. "C-can we take five?" You barely mumble out.
The Avenger shrugged.
"Okay! It gives me time to come up some new strategies! Muahahaha!" She said, eyes flashing back to her regular yellow colour.
"Here, let me get ya." The Avenger said, bending down and picking you up. There was little protest from you as she practically slung you over her shoulder, carrying you back to the starting point.
"Do you need water? Electrolytes?"
"I think I''m good." You say, careful not to hit your head as she carelessly carried you.
As your breath slowly came back you started to feel your back hurt. Nothing a night''s sleep wouldn''t fix.
"We''re taking five!" The Avenger shouted up towards Bonnie. He nodded in response.
Back at the starting point you take a seat against the wall, recovering. With some interim time you check your phone, re-reading the last message from Vanessa.
It told you to check a certain task. Its description didn''t say much other than "environmental risk in the daycare, attic room [attendant''s personal room]." Filed by Vanessa there wasn''t anything else written.
Vanessa was the night guard for the plex, often patrolling most nights. Like you she had her own fair share of close encounters at the plex. Within these walls she had a...history that she wished to forget. With no further details in the ticket you call up Vanessa.
"Hey, welcome back. What''s up?" She asked.
"Thanks. I''m lookin'' at this task. What''s the issue?"
"I''m getting a lot of readings from the attendant''s room. It''s about 10 degrees lower in his room than the rest of the daycare. Can''t see much movement from the camera either. There''s something blocking it. Can''t move it either."
"Could it be something with the heat?"
"Doubt it. The attendant''s been acting weird too as of late. There were a few other tickets yesterday about strange behaviour. You notice anything?"
"Nope. I haven''t been there yet."
Though she was meant to patrol she spent most evenings just chilling in the control room, pouring over cameras, sleeping or reading. Judging that she filed the task recently, you guess she was probably there now.
"Well when you get a chance go check it out. Something''s going on there."
"Will do."
"Thanks." Vanessa said, hanging up.
You didn''t notice but The Avenger had taken a seat next to you, back against the wall, looking upwards to Bonnie.
"Has the daycare attendant been acting weird lately?" You ask.
"I don''t know, citizen." The Avenger said, resuming her machismo. "I uh, haven''t been there lately. I don''t think Chica knows much either. She''s been, um, very busy, yes!"
"Hm." You shoot Bonnie the same message. Receiving and reading it, he replies, shouting from above.
"They have! Yeah they were getting angry at some parents yesterday, and, oh, yeah, Moon fell asleep during nap time. I came in to supervise instead!" Bonnie said cheerily.
Feeling more refreshed you get up. "Alright. One more round of this then I gotta check on the daycare. Okay?"
The Avenger stood up too, triumphant. "Sure! But this one is winner takes all! I want my pizza!"
"Fine. And shake your costume out. You got bits of muffin in you."
"Hmph."
The Avenger got into a running position, knees bent, hands on the ground, ready to start dashing.
With everything in place you turn around and start counting, figuring catching The Avenger would be much easier. She was going to have a different strategy this time, something that needed to be taken into account.
"3, 2, 1, ready or not, here I come!" You declare.
The next chapter will be called Maze Showdown.
Job 1x5 - Maze Showdown
Job 1x5 - Maze Showdown
"STAY AWAY EVILDOER!"
The Avenger was long gone as you reached zero. Bonnie was up top watching, though not focused on you or The Avenger. Something else up top had his attention. For now, it was just to search.
While you walked down corridors and corners, ears out for the Avenger''s ambience or any feathers poking up your mind was on Sun and Moon. It had been about a week since you last checked on them though the last check they didn''t act that much out of the norm. You heard reports of strange behaviour but during that checkup they were fine. They did act more subdued, but you chalked that up to low power. You assumed at the time they just had some anxiety and either needed a break or to have some support staff in the daycare. Perhaps their condition worsened in the past few days?
Seeing a yellow tuft poke up from one of the dead ends you grin. Walking nonchalantly, you start to head to the row next to it, wondering how to go about catching her.
With how much she taunted you in the last round you wanted to scare her as well. But how to scare a super-hero exercise instructor? Teasing about eating crappy food would''ve only pissed her off and make it her mission to get you healthy.
Couldn''t make any predatory jokes about chickens. Wolves eat chickens and Roxanne and Chica were close. She probably wouldn''t understand the joke. Or worse, relay it to Roxanne would be very angry that you insinuated you were a wolf. After all, she was the best wolf.
One idea did stick in your head though, causing an ear-to-ear grin. "You know, uh, Avenger, you talk so much about exercise. But can you even run? I mean, are you even that agile?"
You turn a corner, grinning still. "Eating all that food must really slow you down. How can you even stay fit with all the garbage you eat?"
She was behind the wall, and you could hear her gears within her grinding louder. It was getting under her skin. Grabbing the pull up bar next to you hoist yourself up. Your eyes meet the Avengers, she was expecting you to leap up there.
"Let''s see how fast you can run." You say wickedly.
Her eyes narrow in anger as she turns and bolts off, leaping over the wall next to her. "Hmph! I''ll show you!" She shouts angrily.
You let go and ran after her, keeping pace. She wasn''t as fast as you but far more agile. This was her domain after all.
Gotta cut her off.
While jumping the walls may have been a challenge before you felt emboldened now, practically leaping atop walls you previously could not have. You hear Bonnie above cheering her on. Dashing, you make a left as she goes right, knowing the layout would force her to the same direction eventually.
The Avenger kept running, focusing on what was in front of her, knowing her leaps and acrobatic moves threw you off. As she grabbed the side of the wall, practically sliding past the turn you cut her off, ready to tackle her.
Smirking before running into you she jumped to the side, using the vertical wall as leverage, talon hitting the wall and she grabbed the top of hit, holding herself up. With a leap she jumped to the opposing wall, even twirling as she did, grabbing the opposing wall and gliding over it.
The Avenger did not have a cape, instead having wings beneath her arms. Perhaps if she rocked a cape, grabbing it would have been possible. Instead, she escaped your grasp, landing gracefully a row over.
"WOOOO!" Bonnie shouted, hitting the glass, the bunny practically screaming in awe at the move.
"You can''t catch me! This is my home. I know this place better than you know nuts and bolts!" The Avenger declared.
It was on now.
Gathering yourself you grab the wall, seeing The Avenger already ran off, darting down another corner.
Catching her was gonna be harder than you thought, not letting her taunts get to you. She would trip up eventually.
Continuing the marathon, you chase after her, scrambling up a wall, seeing just where was running. She catches you eye as you land in the same row as her.
"What''s wrong?" You taunt.
"I should be asking you that, hehe." The Avenger giggled. "Lookin'' a little tired yourself."
You don''t answer instead running and nearly sliding into the turn. Despite catching up she had already leapt two rows over and was going fast.
Getting tired you let her run off, figuring to catch her later. There was still time left. "You may be able to run but you sure can''t hide!" You shout as he steps get quieter.
You look up to see Bonnie not paying attention to the game, back to the glass as he was looking at something else up top.
Keeping your breathing quiet you continue walking and notice something on the ground.
Crumbs. It was the remains of that muffin.
She was going to lead you right to her. Grin returning you follow the crumbs, a little mournful you still haven''t got to try it yet. Even the crumbs looked delicious.
Stealthily and slowly climbing over some walls you reach a dead end; her the whirring of motors audible behind it. Now it was time to end this. With a pull-up bar present at the dead-end you smile at how you were going to literally jump her. Hand upon it you''re ready to leap up, doing so as quietly as possible.
Peering over you see The Avenger crouched, hand on the side of the wall ready to leap. She was watching in front of her. Cheeks hurting from smiling you pull yourself up, ready to leap onto her like a rodeo.
"Oh, uh time!" Bonnie declared. You leapt up wrapping both your arms around The Avenger''s neck into a monkey hug.
"Ah!" The Avenger screamed, running forward like a chicken without a head. "Got you!" You were only mid-air when Bonnie declared it, but damn if you weren''t still going to catch her.
"The round ended!" Bonnie shouted from above as you continued to hold The Avenger, not to prove a point but for dear life as she flailed around. Eventually you did, jumping back as she jumped as well, turning to face you, eyes displaying anger.
"That didn''t count!" She pouted.
You shake your head. "Fine. But I still caught you."
"How did you even find me so fast?!"
You point to the ground, a few crumbs knocked loose sitting on the ground. "You lead me right to you."
A look of embarrassment painted The Avenger''s face though she didn''t speak further. "Well, let''s finish this. Final round!"
You nodded as you and her returned to the entrance to wrap this up. Thinking on it you doubted The Avenger was even keeping track. Bonnie didn''t declare who even won the last round and if Chica did win it you lost. Since nobody had brought it up you decided it didn''t really matter. She was getting the message. The Avenger walked with a slight hunch, a far cry from the heroic strutting she expressed early. You wonder if perhaps she''s getting low on battery too. You decide that regardless of the next round outcome you needed get through to her.
"You know we''re gonna have to clean your uniform after."
"Meh. I can do it later."
"You know, if not for the fact you were an eagle I might''ve though you were Chica. I mean, with the way you eat so much."
"Nuh-uh." The Avenger shook her head. "Chica doesn''t eat garbage anymore."
"And you do?"
"W-well I like a taste. Especially after I win this round!" The Avenger declared uneasily.
You continue to follow The Avenger as she walked back to the start of the maze. "I suppose Chica doesn''t anymore. You know if you weren''t an eagle I might think you''re Chica. I mean, she used to eat garbage, and you do. That''s mighty suspicious."
The Avenger glanced over to you frostily before looking back. "W-well I was, uh, just trying to, uh, throw you off. Make it look like I''m Chica when I''m really someone else?" She said, almost unsure.
"Now if you didn''t eat garbage; well, none of the other animatronics eat garbage so I wouldn''t know who your secret identity is. You could even be Bonnie for all I know. And maybe he''s a fake then." You tease.
Glancing up Bonnie was looking back again, seemingly more focused on something going on in the viewing gallery.
"Oh, well maybe I wasn''t, uh, eating that garbage bag. I was going to...recycle it! Yeah! Help clean the Plex! And well you took it from me." The Avenger said, trying to save face. She sounded guilty now, though you hadn''t really accused her of anything.
"Riiiiightttt." You speak. "Tell you what. Let''s change the prizes. If you win, I''ll make a pizza for Chica instead. If I win, well I want a fresh muffin. And let''s bet it all on this round. Either way, no more garbage. And no food. You''ll stain your suit."
Returning to the entrance you make a note in your phone to leave a message with the employee who helped make The Avenger''s costume to repeat the same information. Perhaps they''ll also help get it in her head not to ''eat on the job''.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Deal!" The Avenger declared. "I''ll tell Chica when I see her next. What, uh, kind of pizza? And what size?"
You hadn''t the faintest clue, at least knowing whatever it was shouldn''t stain her metal. No oil-based food. "It''s a surprise. And a large."
The Avenger''s eyes lit up, mind now spinning with speculation.
Up top Bonnie seemed to be still focusing on something up top. "Everything all right up there, Bon?" You call out.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry. Got distracted." Bonnie turned, rendering his attention back to the maze overlook.
"You both ready?" He asked.
"Yes." Both you and The Avenger declared. As she turned to start counting you readied yourself for a run.
"Then let''s get started!" Bonnie declared, hitting the air horn a few times.
The Avenger was eager, starting the count as soon as she heard the horn. You made sure to leave your phone and watch behind again, lest The Avenger try to trick you. You bolt down maze, having a much better idea of where the twists and turns were.
As you pass by various dead ends and corners you decide against hiding. Still a little irate from the previous round you instead decide on a gamble.
Challenge The Avenger outright.
Arms at your sides you stop in the middle of one of the ''hallways''.
"Ready or not!" The Avenger declared.
"I''m ready." You mutter.
It was as if a spirit took over you, energy pumping as you excitedly wait for the Avenger to find and begin the chase. Sure, she was agile when being chased, but how would see react when she had to catch?
You hear her stomping around, getting closer.
Heart starting to race in anticipation you glance around for as many escape routes as possible. From darting down your current path, side-stepping the avenger, climbing over walls and even trying to knock one of walls over there were plenty of escape routes.
Running from the animatronics was always a terrifying experience but under safe conditions you couldn''t help but feel energized.
"(Y/N)? What are you doing?" Bonnie asked from above.
Looking up you grin at him, mouthing ''watch this''.
On cue, The Avenger steps into your sights. Seeing you standing there her face takes on a look of curiosity. A look of suspicion flashed across her eyes, almost as if you are standing here was a trap of some sort.
"Well?" You say, hand out motioning towards yourself. "Bring it!" You immediately turn and run for it, The Avenger saying something as you ran.
Now Playing...
Artist: Maedasalt
Song: Take Your Breath Away
Regardless of whatever retort she had, The Avenger was on the run, immediately climbing atop the next wall and jumping over a row, intending to cut you off.
It was cat and mouse now. The Avenger was making predictions of where you would run too. She already knew you could outrun her. Putting on a serious look she leapt walls, determining where the mouse (you) would run. Where she landed blocking you, you grabbed the wall, pulling yourself up and landing in the next aisle, using core and upper-body strength.
Even if she dashed fast as she could, she would not be able to reach out and grab you before. The only way was to match the movement, jumping a row over like you did. Climbing such a wall, The Avenger matched you though upon your land you find it''s a dead end, The Avenger leaping to the other side. Turning and running backwards you just barely hear her leap the dead end, chasing you.
As you snaked the maze you could hear The Avenger climbing, bypassing and avoiding any and all restrictions to get to her. Muscles ached and though they complied you could already feel tomorrow''s soreness. It was as if someone was pressing onto your joints.
Your smile as wide as could be you briefly turn back and flash it to her, unable to come up with some retort. She had a look of fury on her face, determined on all odds to catch you.
Finally, feeling the results of your workout you climb over a wall, landing in a dead end with a large workout machine. The name escapes you but the space between the two piles of stone slabs and wall provided excellent cover. Keeping your breath as shallow as possible you stand there, being still.
Predictably, The Avenger leapt over the wall in pursuit, landing in front of the machine and continuing the run, chasing where she guessed you ran off to.
"You little! Get back out here!" The Avenger declared, furious.
You wait for a minute, catching your breath. You intended to resume the chase. Just needed a little rest. She was definitely rattled though. You glance up to see Bonnie''s reaction only to find him not present in the viewing gallery. He was gone, no indication of him ever presents up there. Aside from The Avenger stalking madly for you, the sound of your phone and watch ringing at the entrance also made themselves known. With no clear indication you keep still, allowing yourself to recover. As you wait and breathe lightly, you hear another buzzing sound. Though similar to The Avenger''s this one was most subdued and closer.
Peering between the weight bars you see something standing at the end of the dead and, several metres off. Curious now, you step out from your hiding spot, seeing an endoskeleton standing at the end.
They were the frames of the band members. Made of nothing but a thick black metal it formed the basis of each animatronics¡¯ joints, fingers and anatomy. It was a ''skeleton'' for the animatronics¡¯ of which their actual design would fit over, like skin. And like the other animatronics this one was taller than you.
The technical side of you noticed clear differences from it and the other endoskeletons. This was one slimmer, and its eyes were different, darker in colour than the typical endoskeleton. Several other differences made themselves known, something only a trained eye like yours would spot. Either way, you had never seen this particular endoskeleton before. It had the markings of a prototype, though you had no proof.
It cocked its head, eyes blinking one-by-one as it studied you.
Occasionally endos would somehow get powered on and roam the plex. It''s been less of an issue since the incident. It was found a trigger variable called ''freeroam'' was added maliciously. Once removed the problem mostly stopped. Still though, once in a while an Endo would make its way out of storage and seek you specifically out, like some animals may seek humans when gravely injured. In the endos case they somehow knew you were the mechanic and would present to you, their problems. And once solved they would return to the ''wild'' [backrooms]. They had some kind of primitive mind.
The idea this was Chica''s endo arose though you''d spent enough time with each band members interiors to know this wasn''t any of them.
Image: Stalker
Artist: Me
"Uh, hi?" You ask.
The endo emitted a scream, voicebox distorting into static as it lunged at you. Having practiced many nights with Roxanne you had gotten excellent at dodging the ''patented animatronic lunge''. They all could do it, using their knees as a liftoff as they jumped logarithmically. You ran and slid underneath as the endo landed on the machine.
You draw your taser instantly, facing the endo as the electric weapon roared to life, a loud buzzing sound emitting from it. Originally just a generic one, management had created a Fazbear-themed one, the logo on it glowing as it was active.
You drew it fast, having become quite skilled at a quickdraw.
The endo picked itself up and turned with the same blank expression. Not breaking eye contact it gripped the wire holding in the stone slabs and ripped it, grabbing a slab thereafter. Static emitted from it''s voicebox as it appeared to speak to you.
"(Y/N)!" You heard the Avenger call out.
The tazer wasn''t going to work here, you decide. Shutting it off and stashing it you bolt, running down left. From behind you heard one of the slabs smash into the wall behind you.
Gotta make it to the entrance. Adrenaline pumping know you try to listen for where The Avenger was. "AVENGER! OVER HERE!" If you could get a direct hit on the endo''s electrical system you could knock it out. But The Avenger would need to distract it-
A stone slab smashes into the wall you just past. Turning briefly, you see the endo standing atop the walls, perched like a bird, holding another slab.
"STAY AWAY EVILDOER!" The Avenger shouted. It turned, just as the Avenger kicked up a wall and into a jumping side kick, directly hitting the endo and knocking it and her onto the ground.
You run back, climbing over a wall to get to The Avenger.
The Avenger kept true to her namesake, using her talons as weapons. While the endo stumbled back, The Avenger wasted no time immediately jumping into a roundhouse, yellow bird foot smashing into the endo''s head, knocking its eyes like a slot machine. Yep. She had become the deadliest animatronic.
Raising a leg up she rose her arms up too, holding them in front of her like wings. "Crane stance!" She declared. You get behind The Avenger, tazer charged and ready.
There wasn''t much to even do. She had the situation completely under control. At such an advantage the endo realized this, stumbling back. As it looked upon you and The Avenger it turned and ran.
"That''s right!" The Avenger shouted as the endo ran away, jumping over walls and retreating to the maze''s other exit.
You saw no reason to pursue it. That endo learned its lesson.
"Are you okay citizen?!" The Avenger turned to face you, a brief look of concern on her face.
"I, uh, yeah. That was really cool Chi-,Avenger." You say.
"No problem citizen. It''s what I do....can we continue our game now?"
"Guys, run!" Bonnie shouted from the entrance. "There''s an endo coming!"
"We''re alright!" You shout to Bonnie.
You shrug. "I think the game''s over. Tell you what. I''ll make Chica that pizza later tonight and you don''t eat anything otherwise I might think you''re actually Chica. How about that?"
The Avenger seemed to think about it for a few seconds before coming to her answer. "Hmmmmmm. Okay." She said, bemused.
With The Avenger with you, the two of you head back to the maze entrance. You hadn''t noticed it much, but you were finally starting to feel some actual exhaustion. Though it was just hide and seek it turned into a real workout.
Back at the maze''s entrance Bonnie waited, a worried expression on his face.
"You didn''t see the endo?"
"See it? We fought and kicked its butt!" The Avenger declared proudly.
"Oh, oh good." Bonnie said, relieved. "Vanessa called me warning that one of them was coming here. She tried calling you both, but you didn''t have your phone or watch, and you and Avenger wasn''t answering. I came as fast as I could."
You look to The Avenger as she shrugs. "I didn''t want anyone to give away my position."
"Was that it?" You ask. Bonnie nodded. "Yep. Vanessa saw it on the cameras, got worried."
With a nod you give Vanessa a call, putting it on speaker.
"You guys alright?" She asked without saying hello.
"We''re fine. Any idea where it came from?"
"No idea. I''m still looking through feeds. Came from somewhere connected to the hall. Helluva beating you put on it. Good job, Chica. I don''t think it''ll be bothering us anytime."
"Er, maybe the cameras didn''t see but it was I, The Avenger that knocked it out, not, uh, Chica."
"Looked a bit like a prototype." You add.
"Yeah, it did. Faster than the regular ones. Not sure where it would''ve come from. Hey, bunny and superhero. Got any ideas?"
"Um, well..." The Avenger said meekly. "I sort of found an area connected to my, er, Chica''s bakery. Lotta water, but there was a bunch of old stuff. Oo, I even found an old model of, uh, Chica. Oh, right! Yeah, I left it in your office, (Y/N). Maybe you can use it for scrap or something."
Well that explains the corpse found in my office, you think.
"Well go board it up!" Vanessa said, irate. "You know there''s weird stuff down there."
"Yes mam! But I still wanna turn it into my eagle cave. My secret hideout!"
"But won''t it not be a secret hideout then?" Bonnie asked, innocently enough.
"W-well you still don''t know where it is."
"Whatever." Vanessa cut in. "Just go board it up. I''ll leave a note for management to investigate."
"Alright! Bonnie? Wanna come help?"
"Really? I can help build the super secret cave?"
"You bet! You could be like, my sidekick!"
Bonnie beamed; hands clutched together in excitement. Foot, tapping it looked as if he was about to start hopping.
"Ohmygosh, don''t bring more people into it." Vanessa said, though neither animatronic heard her. They already ran off.
"They''re gone."
"Ugh." Vanessa said. "Already bad enough I''m not allowed to call her Chica but now she''s gonna bring him into it."
You shrugged, at first figuring Vanessa couldn''t see it but then realizing she was probably watching from a camera.
"Since you''re done can you head to the attendant''s place? The temperature''s still off."
"Sure. I''ll head there right now."
"Alright. There is something weird going on with them. And not in the stupid superhero stuff kind of way."
"Still not sure what, eh?"
"No idea. They''re always weird. Apparently, they''re being more weird than usual. They give me the creeps. Even when I had my ''problem'' I still wouldn''t even go there. I don''t patrol that area. Don''t even have that many cameras there."
"Alright."
"Get to it and keep your phone close. If that endo tries to get you, I''ll see him from awhile away." She said, a small touch of concern in her voice.
"Thanks, Vanessa."
"Good luck." She said, ending the call.
The next chapter will be called Ailments. It will be released on Saturday or Sunday.
Job 1x6 - Ailments
Job 1x6 - Ailments
"I am. Just a little...tired."
Standing in the empty maze it hit you. I didn''t get my muffin! Checking your watch Bonnie and The Avenger were long gone, both probably in a hurry to start playing. With all the screwing around it was a wonder the band even got any practice. Though you already knew the route you still checked your map. Vanessa had gone ahead and placed a marker in the daycare, noting you to get there asap.
Still hankering for those muffins you shoot Bonnie a text saying to meet him at your office when he was done becoming part of Chica''s fantasies and after the daycare checkups.
With no other interruptions at play you start making your way to the daycare, only briefly stopping at your office to drop off the extra balljoint. That destroyed Chica body still remained, you making a mental note to disassemble it later.
The game with The Avenger had taken a lot more time than you expected. In combination between doing some daily checks, email updates, fixing Chica and the game (additional breaks notwithstanding) you felt a sense of urgency to check on Sun and Moon.
The daycare attendant, commonly called Sun or Moon, were ''two'' animatronics that were not part of the band but still existed on the same level as the band members. Though goofier acting than the band members they''re skill sets worked perfectly for handling young children. They were guardians.
Like their namesakes, Sun came out during the daycare''s playtime and Moon came out during the daycare''s naptime. Their personalities were opposite of each other, but despite the differences got along as brothers.
Moon in particular held a special place in your eyes, especially with him sacrificing himself during the meltdown incident. Even despite his animosity towards the child who helped fix the plex, he still protected him deeply. He was over often overlooked too, what with most of the daycare''s children either scared of him or unknowing of his existence.
You made sure equal time was spent working with each of them.
Sun was a nice animatronic too, giving off evidence during ''Bonnie''s investigation'' and cooperating fully. Since the incident he''d effectively become your fanboy. Not the same way that Bonnie was for you, but Sun would cheer you on if he spotted you working on something. It was endearing to say the least.
Despite that you still considered them dangerous. Sure they weren''t as large as the band members but where they lacked size made up for in agility. At least, you thought so until you met the Avenger. Regardless, Sun and Moon were master acrobatics and knew the exact limits of their flexibility. Like true circus performers they could manoeuvre across many different scenarios.
It also gave you a stark reminder that while The Avenger was good at hide and seek no doubt Sun and Moon would be legendary at it. Tempting as it was to test them at it, there was something wrong with them and it was up to you to solve.
The daycare was accessible from the main entrance, a close area where parents could drop off their younger kids while their older siblings went and enjoyed the plex.
As you walked the plex you reached the entrance to the daycare. Aside from the occasional janitorial bot and security bot nothing seemed too interested in you. No sign of that endoskeleton anywhere.
Reaching the end of the hall you find yourself at the entrance to the daycare, large sign hanging above reading:
SUPERSTAR DAYCARE PICK-UP!
To the right was a large poster covering the wall, depicting Moon holding a wrapped, candy, an advertisement for "Moondrops", his blueberry flavoured.
Blueberry. Reminded you still haven''t gotten your muffin you ignore the left and approach the entrance. Normally the entrance would be open, a set of doors requiring you to pass through but this time the shutter was down. Though unusual, it was nothing to cause concern for. With a swipe of your keycard the shutter lifts and doors part, welcoming you into the daycare''s reception.
The reception looked just as normal as the rest of the plex. A blue carpeted floor, several large monitors turned off that normally would''ve displayed ads and a counter covered in administrative books and daycare-related inventory. To the left stood a series of cubbies meant for kids to leave stuff at and a small lost and found section. Though tempting to look in it there were more pressing things.
At the end of the large reception area was a chainlink fence that separated the reception from the daycare proper. It overlooked the entire daycare with the play areas being a whole story lower. Down the left was a hallway that encircled the whole daycare, acting as a makeshift gallery for parents to see their children one last time before departing.
There were two ways to get into the play area. The first was a slide directly in front. Rainbow-coloured, kids would enthusiastically slide down and land in a ball pit, entering the daycare with a rush of energy. A sign above the slide gave a stark reminder of its purpose:
SLIDE INTO FUN!
The other way was down the walkway and a series of stairs that lead into the daycare. Meant for children who didn''t want to slide, those too scared to go and those who just didn''t want to say bye to their parents yet.
Of course, when said parents did return those children had the opposite feeling. They wanted to stay.
You, of course took the fun way, almost running into the slide and you dove feet-first into the it, a flash of rainbow-colours entering your first until you landed square in the ballpit, submerged in plastic balls.
Treading to the surface you start to ''swim to shore'', expecting Sun to show up at any moment. Though as you pull yourself out of the ball pit and onto ''dry land'' there was no circus music playing, let alone a grand laugh from anyone. It was eerily quiet.
Sun would always greet whoever entered with a hearty laugh and dive into the pit. He knew instantly whenever someone arrived. There were no such events this time. All was silent.
This was most unusual and gave some concern.
"Sun?" You call out, starting to walk the daycare.
There was no response.
It was bright inside the daycare, the lights on full blast. They lit pale blue walls that enclosed it and neon stars that would light up when the daycare entered naptime mode. Even more strange that Sun hadn''t come out. You glance at the wall above the ballpit.
Located overlooking the daycare were Sun and Moon''s personal quarters. Only accessibly by trapeze and an employee-only staircase it was their private green room. Unlike the rooms in Rockstar Row it wasn''t public-facing. It was where the attendant would normally would emerge with an inadvertent Christmas-style, "Ho Ho Ho!", before diving into the ballpit. The visible part of the room was stylized like a cuckoo clock, platform and all. And instead of a bird popping out on the hour, Sun or Moon would emerge from it when the daycare opened. When they needed to return or when the daycare closed for the night they would swing along the trapeze and acrobat back into it.
Red curtains often covered the entrance, usually closed when it meant they were in there. Though, even more unusual the curtains were flapping faintly, indicating some kind of breeze.
Between the temperature alert, lack of response and present airflow, a dark possibility emerged.
They had left.
Stifling the fear you quickly check your fazwatch''s map, the device displaying the attendant in their room, unmoving. A red outline surrounded his sprite indicating he hadn''t moved from that spot in hours. Prior you had only seen that outline on S.T.A.F.F. bots that got stuck. By the lack of other alerts he wasn''t in danger, just not moving.
Slightly more concerned now, you bypass the daycare, going straight for the administrative counter to get to the backrooms. With a brief keycard scan you push open the emergency exit and step into the back.
You ignore most of the storage, theatrical room and preparation area, going to the end where a wooden door with a plaque read:
TO SUN AND MOON''S GREEN ROOM
It lead to a staircase, revolving upwards to their room. Climbing the staircase you noticed something immediately. It was colder here, nay, it was downright freezing. As you reached further up you started to see your breath.
Even the handle to the next door, brass, was covered in frost. Using your shirt as a makeshift glove you open the door, pushing into the tundra-like room, teeth starting to chatter.
Normally the room was rather plain: a regular wooden floor, a wall full of simply drawn pictures by children that always seemed to grow every time you came, a large grid-window that allowed for the attendants to look over the parking lot (come to think of it, it was the only window any of the animatronic rooms had), some pillows arranged in a fort, small stage under it, curtains covering the trapeze entrance and various supplies and things the attendants kept to themselves all with a faint scents of lavender and lemon.
Such was the usual state of the room. Stepping in you found it ice-cold, wind violently blowing in from outside, snow pillowing in to, freezing and wetting everything. The pillow fort had taken the brunt, pillows scattered all over the room.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The camera in the room has frozen over, thereby blocking any surveillance.
Your first immediate thought was that they jumped ship, ran off. Were that the case however, you would''ve already known.
"Sun? Moon? You guys in here?" You call out.
There was no immediate response. Getting ready for the worst you head to the window and, ignoring numbness accumulating in your hands close the window, locking it as well. Looking out it a blizzard raged. Between the night and snowfall it was impossible to tell if they did run or not. Surely any tracks they left were long gone.
That must have been the environmental alert.
"...ugh." You heard a groggy voice from behind you.
Sun stepped out, rubbing one of his eyes. The daycare attendant''s design was inspired by a typical circus performer and marionette, complete with (metal) wooden-looking arms and hands as a puppet would. He even had a hook on his back so that a rope could attach and help him glide across the ceiling. On his shoulders were frilly bows, coloured like his parachute pants, and a combination of gold and red stripes. On his chest were a few buttons, further enforcing his ''home-made appearance''. Further down he wore shoes, ''fantasy shoes'' as you heard them described, cloth with bells on each end, the ends of each were knitted upwards and back so they formed a loop almost. ''Elf shoes'', you''d also heard them described as. He wore a tutu, coloured inversely to his pants, mostly red with a gold outline around it''s circumference.
On his wrists and shoes were ribbons and bells so everyone would hear him, wherever he goes.
His face was the most unique part of him, separating him from the band''s style of animatronics. His face was round and designed like a sun. He even had the ''spikes'' like how a child would draw the sun''s rays. Complete with two puffed cheeks and a wide smile that stretched from cheek to cheek. His eyes were just white, marble-like spheres that shined normally. His face held a secret though, one, to your surprise many people did not know. If one looked closely enough would see the moon hidden in his face. He and Moon, though brothers, shared the same body. During playtime Sun would engage with the children. Come naptime, Sun would rest too and turn into Moon, the nightfall watcher and sleepy time expert.
"...hey (Y/N)..." Sun said groggily.
Whichever brother showed up on your time was completely random. You understood at one time it was linked to the lights in the daycare but after last year''s events Sun and Moon could come out whenever they wanted. Their whole internal clock had become destabilized and while worrying, hadn''t displayed any problems. You pause, wondering if that a potential cause, noting it down.
Sun was always way perkier than the rest of the animatronics, a literal sunbeam of happiness whenever he entered the room. In accordance with his optimism he was also blessed with hyperactivity. Perhaps made to match the unending hype of a child, he certainly could match any kid''s energy, no matter how excited they were.
That is how Sun would normally appear. However, this time very little of that description rang true.
His tutu wasn''t splayed up, it just sagged, as did his shoes and the bells on them. You had to do a double take as some of his sunrays weren''t even out. The top 3 weren''t even out, the sunrays visible giving him the appearance of a beard. Even his pants seemed a darker colour than usual.
His movement was sluggish, even moving slow enough to not ring the bells tied to him. It didn''t appear robotic or synthetic at all either. Just tired.
"Sun, you okay?" You asked, knowing full well he wasn''t.
"...I''m fine." He paused for a second, looking at you. "Are you..okay?" There was delay in his words, processing things far slower than usual.
"I''m alright. It''s freezing in here. Why did you have the window open?"
"...I didn''t know it was open."
More warning signs. How could he have not noticed such a thing?
"Are you sure? You don''t look so good."
"..." Sun just looked at you, then glanced to the window. He sighed.
"I am. Just a little...tired." His mouth didn''t move either, something it could do, instead he spoke through his voicebox. He did not smile as usual, face in a neutral position, showing no positive expression.
"Have you charged yourself today?"
"My battery is fully charged!" He said, voice shooting up and partially clipping. Though while he raised his voice his hunched posture did not change.
You shook your head. Sometimes Sun did lie, though he was a poor liar. This was just strange.
"How''s Moon doing?"
"He''s fine too..." He said, slurring his words slightly as he spoke.
"Sun. You know if you aren''t doing good I''m here to help. That''s my job is. Are you absolutely sure you and Moon are fine?"
"Well I think my arm is a bit loose."
"...That''s it?" You ask.
Sun waited for several seconds before responding. "...I think so."
It was evident something was clearly wrong and with all the warning signs piling, you were sure even if didn''t even notice his problems, like how many don''t notice their injuries on account of shock. Sun was always like a bright sunflower, petals spread and absorbing all the sun''s light. Right now he looked wilted and downcast, petals drooping and the opposite of thriving.
"Well I''m going to need to run diagnostics on you. There''s something wrong."
"Okie." He said, walking up to you before collapsing, tripping and landing face-first into the wooden floor.
"...Ow."
You go to help him up, having him sit cross-legged as he leaned forward. He smelled faintly of vanilla.
With the way Sun as acting it was surprising nobody called you sooner. He was in no shape to deal with children, struggling with the most basics of tasks. Though if nobody said anything maybe he was doing fine earlier and had been crashing out in the evenings? Either way, it looked bad. Recalling your last meeting he certainly wasn''t like this. Tired maybe but nothing at this level.
Just from being close to Sun you discover another issue. The servos and gears inside him were turning loudly and erratically.
From your backpack you took out a screwdriver, small cup and rubber gloves. Dealing with animatronics was one thing but dealing with a live one was like biking without a helmet. Dangerous without protection. Screwdriver in hand you start unbolting the back plate.
"Hey, (Y/N)..." Sun said slowly. "...Do you think I am good with the kids?"
"Hm? Of course you are."
The back plate unlatched exposing the interior backside of Sun. The main stay of the inside was a glowing blue cylinder, it''s appearance almost akin to a lava lamp as liquid electricity flowed through it.
Nestling it were a series of wires, hugging it as veins would the ribcage. However, as striking as the blue glow was, another issue made itself readily apparently. There were specks of a black material upon parts of the battery, solid and moulded to the battery. Using the screwdriver you attempt to scrap some off, no intention of touching it. Battery acid was corrosive and even if that were hardened acid, touching it, even with gloves could be dangerous. You scrape a bunch off onto the ground, intending to analyze it later.
You enter a few notes into your phone. Sluggish, inability to coordinate movement, intermittent memory loss, a faulty power supply as the primary cause. That somehow it could be related to the desynchronized clock.
"I..keep waking up." Sun said out of the blue.
"What do you mean?"
"Sometimes when Moon is out!" Sun''s voice rose suddenly as you pulled your hands away from his back in response. "Sometimes when Moon is out I wake up. And I can''t hear him." He said, voice quieting.
You note that down.
Closing up the back you decide that while a faulty power supply could be causing issues there must have been something else. "I''m gonna need to you look at your head next. That alright?"
There was no response.
"Why would you need to do that?" A different voice emerged. While Sun''s voice was chipper by default this one was deeper, more subdued. If Sun always said the first thing that popped into his head, this voice carefully selected each word and neatly organized them before speaking. It was Moon''s voice.
The attendant stood up, shaking himself off as she did. He turned back to face you, Sun. He looked at you quizzically, "Who...are you?" He asked, innocently. Though his voice sounded like Moon''s his appearance still showed Sun.
He grabbed his head, holding a hand over his eye.
"Sun, er, Moon. You alright?" You ask, concerned.
"Moon." The attendant said, voice a little unsure. "That''s right. I am Moon."
While they shared the same body they still had vastly different appearances. Fundamentally they wore the same clothes, instead the colours on them changing as a chameleon would. Normally the change would take a few seconds, but this time it acted in slow motion.
The crescent moon on Moon''s face became visible as the yellow in this face turned dark, symbolizing the night sky. Marble eyes turned obsidian as a red light emerged in them, making his iris visible. The ''sun''s rays'' retracted into his head, arms became similar a gradient separating silky white upper arms and shoulders to the night sky of his lower arm. Bows became dark with a deep red sheen of an outline. His chest and upper body became a patchwork of the moon and outer space, akin to a chessboard.
Most prominently, his parachute pants changed from a red and yellow outline to a deep blue, small stars covering the pants as they would the evening sky.
Every time you''d seen him he also sported a night cap covered in stars and cloth. This time he didn''t have it with him, leaving his head exposed.
While Sun was the literal representation of the sun and the limitless energy it wrought, Moon was the literal representation of the moon.
Cool. Calm. Collected. His very speech could help hum children to sleep. Preferring to lurk in the dark he found it far more relaxing that hot lights and droning sounds of the fluorescence.
He preferred a breeze and believed most people slept better in cooler temperatures. It was also his upmost professionalism and traversal of the darkness that allowed him to help so much during the incident. Sun, much as you loved him was manic. Whenever it came to diagnosing a problem Sun proposed ever possible issue under the, well, sun.
Moon on the other hand was more analytical and even if he were wrong in guessing, his thoughts led you closer to the problem than Sun suggesting that solar radiation was somehow the reason the light broke.
Both brothers had their skills of course, though for repairs and fixing, Moon was always better it.
"Moon. You alright? I was just talking to Sun. There''s something clearly wrong."
"I know. I don''t know what it is. But I can feel it."
Phone out you start taking notes. "So what''s been happening? Specifically. Sun says you''re all fine, I know that isn''t true."
"We''ve been flashing. This is the second time today."
"Flashing. So you''ve been changing accidentally?"
"I don''t think it''s an accident. One moment I was sleeping, the next I am surrounded by happy children. It''s..something is wrong."
"Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"
"Sun told me not to-" Moon froze mid sentence, not moving. You could still hear his gears turning.
"Moon?"
"P-promise you won''t decommission us." Moon(?) said, though with a much more pitched voice higher than you expected.
"De-decommission you?" You respond, surprised. "Moon I would never do that. Hell, you saved us all once already. If it weren''t for your sacrifice back then the whole plex would''ve been screwed." You said, a little irate. You didn''t mean to sound upset though it was a touchy subject with the animatronics. "Don''t say that. I swear to you I will never do that. I will fix you one way or another."
Though Moon retained the same deadpan look as Sun, it widened just a little in happiness. "Thank you." He said.
Thinking on it you wonder if these problems started during the meltdown incident. At the time, Moon and a child had a showdown with a corrupted Freddy. It ended rather grisly with Moon being bisected and effectively severed at the core.
"Did this all start after that our battle in the plex? Er, when I started?"
"I. Maybe. I can''t remember. You should ask Sun. I was sleeping when he helped."
"Moon. That was you who helped. Sun was corrupted that night."
"Was it?" Moon asked, finger on his chin as he pondered. "I could have sworn it was Sun."
As you listened to Moon speak you started to notice his speech patterns weren''t as refined. He was sounding more like his brother.
"O-okay. Sorry. You were right. Sun was corrupted."
"You mind if I look in your head?"
"Okie." He walked closer to you and sat down, facing away.
"Does your head hurt right now?"
"Not really. Just, uh, numb."
While a failing battery could''ve caused issues with sluggish movement and coordination, it shouldn''t have asked memory leakage or ''flashing''. There had to be another problem.
The next chapter will be called Diagnosis. (released on Wednesday).