Chapter Text
Freddy was still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He vaguely remembered going on stage to perform with his band, but he had no memory of their show ending. No memory of finishing out the day and returning to his room, and certainly no memory of a child—who wasn’t on the guest list—climbing into his chest cavity to hide. Freddy would never have allowed it to happen!
And yet it had. The boy—who said his name is Gregory—had somehow found his way inside an area that was for oversized birthday cakes and pinatas. He’d expressed his fear and distrust of their security guard, and Freddy felt an overwhelming urge to help him. Perhaps Gregory had done something wrong and was worried about getting in trouble. Or maybe the poor kid was just scared of Officer Vanessa because she was a stranger to him. Whatever the case, Gregory was afraid, so he’d agreed to help sneak the boy out of the Pizzaplex.
Not that it was easy considering he was stuck on low power and had no access to the main network. Freddy had sent the boy through the ventilation system, and told him where he could find a Photo Pass. He couldn’t help excessively checking his internal clock while he waited. It was so late… If Gregory didn’t hurry, he’d get trapped inside for the night until the doors could open at 6:00 AM. How worried his family must be.
“Freddy!” A shout interrupted his thoughts. He noticed movement on the other side of the glass and saw Gregory waving the Photo Pass at him before running out of view. Freddy went to the door to meet him as it slid open. “I got it!”
“Way to go, Superstar! I knew you could do it.” Gregory ducked his head with a sheepish smile at the praise. Freddy wiggled his ears and put on the best smile his plastic casing would allow him in return. He wanted Gregory to feel safe. “I know how to get you out of here. Climb back into my chest cavity; there is still time, but we must hurry. If I am spotted I will certainly be taken back to my room.”
“That’s stupid. Why would they do that?” Gregory interrupted with a frown, putting his hands on his hips and scrunching up his nose.
“Well,” Freddy began slowly. “It is because I am in Safe Mode, which significantly cuts my battery usage. They do not want me wandering about only to run out of power and get stuck somewhere.”
“Did they do that because you fell on stage?”
Freddy blinked in surprise. “That.. would explain some things, yes.” Before he could think much more about the new information, Freddy’s internal clock blinked in his vision. We do not have time for this. “I will escort you through the utility tunnels. It is the safest path.” Freddy opened his hatch, hoping to convey the need to hurry.
He watched Gregory’s face twist into a grimace. “Okay,” he replied reluctantly. “But you better be careful moving around. I don’t want to be crushed and twisted into a meat pretzel,” he finished with a pout.
“Of course not,” Freddy assured as the boy climbed into his hatch. As soon as it closed, the bear hurried out the door and into the utility tunnels. He tried not to cringe as his footsteps stomped loudly throughout the stairway. If the security guard was down here, she would surely know he was, too.
As if his thoughts had summoned her, Vanessa’s voice could be heard from below, calling out for the lost boy. He felt Gregory tense. “She’s down here! We have to go back,” he whispered urgently, fidgeting in his cramped hiding space. Why was the poor boy so scared of her?
Freddy continued down the steps. They couldn’t afford to turn around if they wanted to get him out. “Do not worry, Gregory. Even if we are spotted, you are safe with me.” The kid stayed silent, perhaps not believing the bear. “She would never suspect we are traveling together,” he offered. Freddy heard the boy scoff. He wasn’t fooled by Freddy’s optimism. Maybe he would appreciate some blunt honesty. “However, we should still do our best to avoid her,” he added. Freddy was about to remind the boy about the urgency of time, but thought better of it. He didn’t want to stress him out more than he already was.
They continued down the tunnels in silence until Freddy felt something drip inside his stomach hatch. He froze, an injury alert went off in his head. Blood , he realized, feeling his wires twist with concern. “I feel you are broken.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m fine,” Gregory dismissed quickly, shifting inside the hatch. A near inaudible hiss came from his mouth that Freddy surely would have missed had he been human.
“No, I feel that something is wrong.” Freddy felt another drip. “I am taking you to the first aid station.”
A little hand banged against Freddy’s hatch. “That lady is close by! There’s no time!” Freddy ignored him, already hurrying down the tunnel. “I’m fine!” The bear stopped in front of the booth and opened the hatch. He put his paws in front of it to help Gregory get down. His hands were so small, gripping onto Freddy’s as he climbed out.
“May I see where you are hurt?” Gregory opened his mouth to protest, but just sighed and rolled his eyes before showing Freddy a cut on his right arm. “Where did you get this?” the animatronic asked as he grabbed disinfectant from the first aid station. It looked like it hurt, and Freddy kicked himself internally for not noticing it earlier.
“Why do you care? I’m getting out of here in a few minutes anyways,” Gregory snapped, looking away and grinding his teeth as Freddy cleaned the wound.
“I regret that you were injured under my watch.” Freddy reached for the antibiotic ointment and carefully spread it over the cut. “I do not want any child to be in pain.”
Gregory huffed with exasperation. “I just got it in the vent. It’s not even that bad.” The boy’s eyes followed Freddy’s paw as he showed off the bandages they had available. With a red blush spreading across his face, Gregory snatched the one with Freddy’s face plastered all over it. The bear couldn’t help but wiggle his ears and grin at the boy’s choice.
Freddy applied the bandage ever so carefully to Gregory’s arm. He felt much better knowing nasty cut was taken care of. “All fixed up, Superstar.” His internal clock flashed in his vision again. We have taken too long! “We must hurry if we are going to make it to the lobby by midnight. Come, let us—”
The sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs beside them. The two froze for a moment, Gregory staring up at Freddy with owlish eyes. Freddy motioned for the boy to hide in the booth, and he dove in within a moment’s hesitation. Just as the curtain closed, light hit Freddy’s shiny casing, and the gate opened.
“Freddy! You’re supposed to be on lockdown,” Vanessa snapped as she stomped up to the animatronic. She scowled, pointing her flashlight in his eyes. Freddy blinked against the light, and brought a paw up to try and block some of the glare.
“Officer Vanessa,” he stammered. “I—I do not know how I got here.” His coding screamed at him for lying. The angry alerts were almost as obnoxious as the flashlight.
“Well, you totally blew it tonight, you know.” The security guard shook her head. “Your system crashed and you ruined the show. Now thanks to Parts and Service, you can’t be hooked up to the network until tomorrow. Just one more thing to deal with.” She scowled at the animatronic as if he had done all of this on purpose.
Freddy’s ears lowered and turned his gaze down to his feet, feeling guilt worm its way into his wires. He hadn’t meant to ruin everything. “I apologize.”
Vanessa rubbed her temple. “Okay,” she sighed. “Look, we’re like fifteen minutes from closing and some kid is sneaking around backstage. If you see anything, notify me immediately.” Freddy tensed. “I already alerted the others. Now go back to your room.” The officer glared at the bear until he replied with a stiff nod. She then left the way she’d come, locking the gate behind her.
When the sound of her footsteps faded into silence, Freddy relaxed, letting out a mechanical sigh of relief. Gregory stuck his head out from behind the curtain and peeked at the gate to make sure she was gone. “I told you she was after me,” he said smugly, swiping open the curtain and walking over to Freddy, his eyes still glued to where the officer had disappeared to.
“I said nothing. I will keep you safe.” We do not have long. Freddy opened his hatch and offered a paw to the boy. “Let us go.” Gregory hesitantly took it and let himself be helped up into the hiding spot.
The two continued down the passage, Gregory’s curiosity getting the better of him, and started asking questions about the Pizzaplex. Freddy was happy to answer any of his questions if it made the boy feel more comfortable. He could see how a child might think the tunnels were spooky, and wanted to make the experience less frightening.
He was interrupted by a flashing in his vision. Low battery already! This is perhaps the worst night to be put on reduced power. Freddy focused all his energy on climbing the steps and pressing on. He vaguely heard Gregory ask if something was wrong, but didn’t respond. I must hurry and get Gregory out before midnight! By the time he’d reached the top of the stairs, his limbs were already starting to struggle and his hatch opened up without his approval.
“I am terribly sorry,” Freddy forced out. “The recharge cycle had not yet completed when I found you.” Gregory clambered out of the cavity and turned to face Freddy. “You must continue without me.”
“What? I can’t do that! What if the security lady comes back?”
“I will guide you on your Fazwatch in case you get into any trouble.” Freddy’s ears lowered and he let the regret show in his eyes as he pushed himself to get into the recharge station.
Gregory followed alongside him, grasping at one of his paws. “I don’t know if I can do this alone. Please, Freddy…”
Oh Gregory, this is the very last thing I want to do. “I am sorry, Superstar. I cannot make it any farther with such low power. I have to recharge.” Freddy gave the boy a gentle pat on the head before closing the cylinder to charge.
He watched the child push his hands against the glass, and get up on his tip-toes to peek up at him. “What if I just wait for you to finish?” If Freddy had a heart, he knew that Gregory would be pulling at its strings.
“You would never make it to the lobby in time if you waited. It will take too long, and I do not want you getting stuck in here all night. Your family would be so worried!” The boy’s expression turned gloomy. He mumbled a response that Freddy didn’t catch before walking away through the doorway. I wish I could help more.
Freddy heard the sound of clattering and clucking through the door Gregory had gone through. Perhaps that is Chica! I am sure she will help Gregory the rest of the way. He felt himself relax at the thought. She was always so gentle and sweet with children. She could gain even the most skeptical child’s trust in minutes.
Freddy recalled the time she’d befriended a lost child who had gotten separated from her friend’s party and was left behind. The chicken had stayed with the poor girl the whole rest of the day until her parents arrived to take her home. Chica had occasionally expressed that she missed being able to spend one-on-one time with guests, spending the day getting to know someone and just having fun. She would certainly be more than willing to help sneak Gregory out of the Pizzaplex.
The bear was lost in thought when he was alerted by Gregory’s Fazwatch.
“Freddy! Help me! ” Gregory cried out. Freddy felt his endoskeleton lock up in horror. Gregory was panting hard; it sounded like he was running and he could make out the sound of roaring.
“Gregory what is happening?!” Gregory didn’t respond, gasping for air as he ran. Roxanne’s shouts and some clinking noises followed a shriek from the boy. Freddy checked his battery, hoping that it would somehow go faster if he willed it to. Not enough! He slammed his body against the door, but it was no use. Thrashing around was only slowing his charging, and these things were built to keep even a tantrum-throwing Monty inside. “Gregory!” He could hear clattering through their connection, then Chica’s taunts. Why were his friends chasing the poor boy? Why were they scaring him so much?
Freddy heard the slam of a heavy metal door. Gregory was still desperately trying to catch his breath, and it sounded like someone was pounding on the door.
“Gregory, are you alright? What is going on?”
Gregory coughed trying to breathe normally again. “Y-your friends,” he paused for a deep breath, “they’re trying to get me! They chased me… I don’t know where I am Freddy. It looks like some kind of computer room?”
Why would they do such a thing? Freddy shook his head. I cannot think about that now. Gregory needs to be protected. “Gregory, you have found a security office.” He needed to choose his words carefully. The child was terrified, and Freddy needed to try and keep him calm. Something is wrong . “You should be quite safe here. The doors were designed to keep our highly trained security staff safe in the event of an emergency.” If only the recharge stations were not made from the same material, Freddy thought ruefully.
“Freddy!” Gregory’s anxiety seemed to be rising. “The power’s only at fifteen percent and they’re pounding on the door!” It sounded as though he was on the verge of hysterics. “How am I gonna get out of here?!” he cried with a wobble.
“Do not panic,” responded Freddy, trying to put as much warmth and comfort as he could into his voice. He gently talked Gregory through connecting his Fazwatch to the security cameras, and how to work them. Gregory’s breathing had calmed, but he still whimpered at the pounding on the door. “You can use this to find a safe path out of the office and to the main lobby.”
“Can I keep you on? I don’t want to do this alone.”
“Of course, Gregory. But we must stay quiet if you are to sneak away. And you must hurry.” Freddy heard Gregory taking deep breaths. “You can do this, Superstar.” It is far too close to midnight!
“Right.” The sound of pounding sounded farther away. Freddy guessed that Gregory had gone through the other door and was attempting his escape.
Freddy felt painfully useless, trapped in the charging station while the kid was struggling to get out. He listened carefully, hearing rustling and stomping in the background, noticing Gregory’s breathing increasing before going completely silent. The sound of heavy animatronic steps had gotten so close… Please do not find him. Something is not right. Please just let him go. The footsteps faded into the distance. It sounded as though Gregory was scrambling off, and metal doors opening came through the connection. Yes!
The nightly announcement echoed around the Pizzaplex, alerting everyone to the closure of the Pizzaplex.
No! “Gregory! You need to run to the exit!” Freddy urged desperately. His internal clock pinged him that it was finally midnight. He is too late! I failed him.
He heard Gregory running, followed by a cry of dismay. “No! Wait, I’m still here!” There was a quiet huff of defeat. “Now what am I supposed to do?” he muttered glumly.
“How unfortunate, Gregory. You missed your chance.” Because of me. “But there is still hope. You should be able to escape when the security doors open at 6am. Until then, keep moving, and try not to draw attention to yourself.” Gregory’s silence felt like someone had ripped out his circuits. “If there is another way out, I will help you find it. I promise.”
“Why are your friends trying to hurt me? Shouldn’t they be nice like you?”
Freddy clenched his paws into fists. “Yes, they usually are. Something is not right.” Freddy paused to think. “There should be a Complimentary Entry Pass nearby. Go to the lobby and look for an upgrade machine in customer service. That way you will have access to the pizzeria. My battery should be charged by then and I can return to you.”
“Okay, but you better be quick. I don’t want to have to run for my life again.” Gregory switched off the call, and Freddy was stuck listening to nothing but the hum of the recharge station. He checked his battery. Seventy six percent! It wouldn’t be long now. But with Gregory’s fear of the security guard and the other animatronics… It was driving Freddy crazy.
Why does it feel like it is taking so much longer than usual? Freddy rested his head on the door impatiently. He perked up when he felt a connection alert and heard the boy’s call again.
“Freddy, it ate my pass!”
The bear sighed. He thought the techs had fixed the temperamental machine. “Perhaps there is a way to hack it back out. Try Glamrock Gifts: they have lots of trinkets, nicknacks, and doodads.”
“‘Doodads’?” Gregory repeated skeptically.
“Yes, a ‘doodad’ is an ornamental attachment or decoration.” Gregory groaned. Oh, perhaps he already knows that. “The upgrade machine is sensitive to magnets. It gets broken quite often…” A few minutes passed in tense silence as the boy made his way to the gift shop until Gregory inhaled sharply. “What is wrong? Did you find a magnet?”
“Yeah, but Chica’s out in the lobby,” the boy whispered urgently. “She’s walking around like a creepy zombie!”
“Where are you~?” Chica taunted playfully. Freddy felt a chill run through his endoskeleton, and understood immediately why the boy was so afraid. There was a promise of a threat beneath her words. She didn’t sound like herself at all.
Chica what has happened to you? “Is there somewhere you can hide?”
“She’s looking everywhere. I don’t think I can stay put for too long. I-I’m going to try to get back to the upgrade thing.”
“Gregory, it is not safe! She is not herself, and I do not know what she will do if she finds you!” But Gregory had already disconnected their call before he’d finished. The boy had made up his mind.
Ninety seven… Come on almost there! A few moments that felt like eternities passed, and finally the recharge station opened up. Freddy was already charging through the door and down the hallways. He needed to help Gregory! I have to protect him, I must be quick.
Freddy turned a corner and almost crashed into Roxanne and Monty, both looking irritated and furious as they turned their eyes to him. Freddy stumbled to stop himself and stared at his friends.
“Freddy, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be locked in your room?” Roxy snarled, her eyes scrutinizing his every move.
“I—well, I wanted to help find the missing child,” Freddy spoke slowly, scratching the back of his head nervously. It is partly true. “He must be very scared—”
Monty interrupted him with a loud roar. “That damn kid is a breach in the security and needs to be taken to the security guard before he does more damage!”
“M-more damage?”
Roxy growled at Freddy, and he was sure if she had been a live wolf, she’d be foaming at the mouth. “We don’t have time for this. I’m not a loser, I’m going to find that little monster first!” She pushed past Freddy and stalked off to continue the search. The bear felt relief wash over him as she moved further away from the boy.
Gregory’s little voice began to echo in his head again, whining about getting a Daycare Pass. Freddy sent a quick message telling the boy to meet him there before turning his attention back to the gator before him.
Monty scowled. “All you gotta know is this kid is causin' problems and we need to get rid of him!” Freddy noticed Monty’s claws twitching as if he were looking for any excuse to use them.
“R-right. I will go search in the lobby for the, uh, intruder.” Freddy was sure he’d be sweating if he could. He shuffled around Monty to head to the boy, but was stopped by a heavy thump on his shoulder.
With wide eyes, Freddy turned his attention to Monty’s claws scratching his casing, and red-orange eyes piercing him from behind star-shaped sunglasses. “Somethin' wrong, Fazbear?” The gator’s question was low and dangerous. It was somehow worse than the outright rage from only a moment ago.
Stay calm. “Ah, I am still having some technical issues from my system crash earlier. It is nothing I cannot handle.”
Monty’s eyes narrowed and his claws scraped away some of Freddy’s paint. “Don’t let it be a problem,” he spat before letting go and heading off in the direction Roxy had gone.
Freddy was rooted in place, trying to process the conversation. They are not themselves. They would never be so horrible to a child, let alone their friends. He knew Monty was rather destructive when he was upset, or even too excited, but he’d never laid a claw on anyone. Freddy felt shaken to his core.
The animatronic’s internal crisis was cut off by Gregory’s shout for help through the Fazwatch. Freddy bolted to the lobby, spotting the boy tearing away from Chica as she shambled after him. “I am just trying to help~!” she giggled before breaking into a run. Freddy charged up the steps as Gregory pushed through the Daycare doors.
“Gregory!” Freddy called as he followed him and Chica through the doors. The boy shot through the long hallway, panting with effort. He cannot keep running for much longer, Freddy realized as the entrance to the Daycare slid open.
Chica let out a laugh filled with bawks and clucks. “Gregory~!” she sang maniacally, lurching with outstretched arms. She was too close! Freddy watched in horror as her fingers reached for the child’s collar, brushing them against it as she gained on him. She clenched her fist around the cloth, ready to reel him in. “I’ve got you now!”
“No!”