╔═════════════════╗
Chapter 7. Third Stage.
"Last Breath"
╚═════════════════╝
[Words: 3200]
[Duration: Extensive]
Gregory was stopped by Bonnie, the rabbit had heard a suspicious tinkling from the vents.
The stage was quite dark, they were both on the middle floor of the Mega Pizzaplex. Vanessa had cut the lights shortly after they left Roxy Raceway.
- Hide - Bonnie ordered, refusing to open the storage tank on his stomach because he would limit the rodent's movements.
The boy fled when some wires emerged from the vent, the grille fell to the ground with a sharp, loud sound.
A damaged bear mask was visible among the few wires, Bonnie took confidence when he noticed that the enemy's golden eye glowed much less brightly, many of its wires were ripped out, leaving about twenty at most.
Funtime Freddy was clearly in bad shape, the remnant of him being taken away when he was forced to flee Montgomery's body down in the underground.
The bear took a quick look at the boy, who was hiding behind the rabbit.
Freddy tried to get closer to attack him, however, the glamrock was in his way.
The bear backed away when his cables were grabbed in one of his attempts to reach and injure the boy.
Gregory was a powerful source of remnant for him, while Bonnie was just a powerful shield preventing the funtime from getting the target from him.
Freddy growled helplessly, he wishes had Ballora near him, but she ran away to her fate when she witnessed Foxy's murder by her partner.
He was at an impasse.
Bonnie opened his storage tank taking out a Faz-cam to give to the boy, the Funtime recognized the object of the Monty Golf battle against the alligator and the rabbit.
He backed away further not wanting to be blinded again.
- Gregory - Bonnie spoke - If they try to attack us, blind them with the camera and run away.
- How about you? It will affect you too! - The boy did not seem convinced with the idea.
- Don't worry about me, I will resist - Pronounced the robot, then slightly pushed the minor. - Go get Chica, I'll entertain this one here
The little boy nodded before running away, Funtime Freddy who heard everything, jumped in search of the boy.
Bonnie wouldn't let him, and he jumped up and grabbed the wired robot.
- ...L-Let me go, you creep... - Hissed the bear, but he didn't have enough strength to fight.
Freddy tried to hang from the ceiling to launch the rabbit out of his sight.
But Bonnie was smart, and before giving action to the contrary, he jumped from the current floor of the Pizzaplex to the ground floor of the stage, giving Gregory more opportunities to escape.
- Haven't you had enough with destroying all my friends? - The rabbit asked offended.
- Fuck you - The bear laughed, using his agile form to slip through the glamrock's grip and let go.
Bonnie sat up nervously, rabbits aren't usually very aggressive, he hated to fight. But to Funtime didn't seem to be something that he disliked.
Gregory reached the corridor between Monty Golf and Kid's Cove. He turned to see Bonnie downstairs entertaining the destroyed Funtime.
He noticed the smoke rising from the Fazcade on the third floor, he wondered where he came from that, but he preferred not to ramble anymore and look for Chica.
He hurried down the aisle behind Monty Golf to go to the Patisserie. He remembered that the owner bird had lost his voice box, preventing him from speaking properly.
He thought of some way to communicate with her as he walked through the door.
Then turned on his flashlight as he entered the huge tent, heard screeching sounds horrible to the ear, coming from the screams and sobs of the bird.
Gregory saw her kneeling on the floor, trying to devour the tattered and dirty cakes on the floor, she sounded really desperate and distraught.
When the boy approached her, he unconsciously pointed the flashlight at her to see better, the shadow of the glamrock appeared in front of her.
Chica stopped her actions letting out an anguished screech, her head turned one hundred and eighty degrees to see the infant.
- C-Chica? - The boy fearfully asked, hoping that she would not attack him.
The bird took a few seconds to react before rudely scooping up the dirty cream from the cakes and quickly getting up, she clumsily ran towards the boy, tripping over some objects in her way.
Gregory freaked out, turning away and running from the footsteps of the glamrock.
"Do not be afraid"
He heard the little one a female voice in his head, the infant stopped little by little and then turned around seeing Chica make the ground shake with her desperate steps.
She stumbled in front of him, falling to the ground with a deafening screech.
Gregory tensed at the sight of her kneeling in front of him, witnessing all of the breaks in her exoskeleton and all of her visible wires in the air.
The bird reached out her hand to him, sadly offering alittle of the cream from the smashed cakes on the floor. The boy frantically shook his head before embarrassingly taking a few steps back in fear of disappointing her.
Chica let out a weird groan then brought her own dirty hands to her mouth dirtying her internal circuitry between robotic sobs, she couldn't eat.
Not anymore.
- Chica... - Gregory spoke with shame in his words, he shook his head trying not to feel bad for her. - I need your help, could you help me, please?
The bird got up between the stumbling of her footsteps, not wanting to hurt the child.
Gregory mentally thanked the voice in his head.
"Get out of there"
It sound again, the minor grabbed the robot's shattered hand and ran out of there.
Before he made it all the way down the aisle to leave the bakery, Gregory took one last look back, seeing Marionette's silhouette in front of a wired robot in the vent.
This last mentioned backed away getting lost in the duct, the puppet turned to see the boy.
"At the entrance"
Gregory listened. He nodded and hurried out of the bakery to find Bonnie.
The fight between Glamrock Bonnie and Funtime Freddy cooled down when Roxanne howled in the background, at the entrance to Rockstar Row.
The wolf ran towards the rabbit, pounced on him to attack, fortunately the rodent took advantage of the blindness of the opposite to dodge it.
The canine sniffed the environment, tracking the child's scent.
- Let's go, quickly - Exclaimed Gregory followed by Chica, seeing the wolf run towards them.
Bonnie didn't hesitate long, leaving the shattered Funtime behind. He jumped upstairs helping them on their way to the Daycare, pushing Roxanne on the way to distract her from losing track of the child.
- Jump inside - Bonnie ordered for Gregory to hide and Roxy couldn't follow them.
They fled away from the scene, with the rabbit listening to the boy's voice ordering them to go to the entrance through the daycare.
Chica let out a sad groan at the sight of Bonnie, she remembered attacking the rabbit when she was being possessed by Ballora.
The rodent didn't exactly understand the bird's words, but he gave her a reassuring smile in an attempt to cheer her up a bit.
Marionette managed to chase Funtime Freddy away, making him go into the vents again.
She failed to catch him in time.
The girl wondered why Afton didn't attack the Molten, since they used to be enemies.
- I mannnnaged to forrrrce him to bbbe -llike you... But I still don't underrrrstand his accctions... - Scrapbaby spoke with her voice box damaged by fire.
- You're his daughter... If you can't understand him, I don't know who will - Marionette whispered, seeing Baby hidden in the shadows.
The humanoid animatronic was clearly injured, despite being a soul and not requiring a remnant, the robot's body was injured and in disrepair, complicating her mobility and speech.
Charlie felt dizzy seeing her suffer like that.
- Are you sure you don't want me to find an intact body for you? - Asked Charlotte offering Elizabeth to look for a new animatronic body to possess.
However, she refused. Elizabeth wanted no other body of metal and wires.
- Why not? You can barely stand up in that one - Charlie didn't understand her friend's decisions.
- It was a gggift from my father... I don't want to changgge it - Elizabeth explained, Charlotte remained silent.
- I'll respect it then... - She decided, slightly looking away from her.
The puppet felt a third much more powerful presence in the environment, Marionette approached Baby's body in case she decided to teleport them both away from whoever she was near them.
Her thoughts led her to think that it was Afton stalking them to attack, but she was surprised to see a large golden bear appear in front of the two of them.
- Evan... - Elizabeth whispered with a certain happiness and sadness.
- Cassidy... - Charlie murmured with disdain and suspicion.
- Sister... - The boy's voice sounded through the bear when he saw Scrapbaby's bad condition. - Come with us, join us to defeat our father and finally be free.
The boy offered to help his sister, giving his hand to her to join Golden Freddy's body.
Marionette turned her gaze to see the green eyes of her friend, she hesitated.
Elizabeth hesitated, she really wanted to end all of this.
But definitely kill Afton...
She wasn't an alpha soul like the other three in front of her, she wasn't as powerful as them.
However, they offered to help and support her.
So that everyone could finally rest.
But despite all that, she didn't want to.
She didn't want to attack her father.
Elizabeth was out of her mind, her sanity like a spider's thread, delicate and weak.
She hated her father, she wanted to make him suffer over and over again, until he cried for mercy.
But, she was not able to kill him, she wanted to see him succeed and rule under his reign.
- Later - Charlie spoke interrupting the situation. - Elizabeth and I must do something first..
The humanoid robot turned her head towards the puppet.
"When you are sure, you will decide"
Charlie's voice communicated with Elizabeth telepathically.
She was inwardly grateful for her help.
- As which things? - Cassidy's cold voice spoke, but Evan's voice interrupted - It doesn't matter, we'll wait, now here, I have something to tell you.
The floating bear landed on the ground in front of the girls.
Golden Freddy wasn't as tall as Scrapbaby, but he almost matched his height.
On the other hand, Marionette was clearly shorter, yet her levitation allowed her to see everyone over her shoulder.
Both girls felt tense with the presence of the bear that took the bite of eighty-three.
Forty-three years ago.
Forty three years?
So long ago?
Behind the eyes of the yellowish bear, the soul of an anguished child was present.
A fearful soul like long ago.
He was the first to fall, between the jaws of his predator and the clutches of his vile brother.
Evan's soul was trapped in that pizzeria, day after day, wandering aimlessly.
He remained stoic watching the clientele come and go, the robots move, the children run from one place to another, yet nothing felt as... Alive as before.
Soon Evan received an unexpected company, a girl of a similar age.
He recognized her, it was Charlotte, the daughter of the company's founder.
She had been murdered, by his father. But she did not go alone, a puppet embodied little Emily.
Evan understood that he too could take on a robot body so he could move freely and interact with his surroundings, but he refused.
The animatronics scared him, their appearances were terrifying to him.
And while Charlie's vengeful soul rested patiently on the arrival of the father of the Afton family, his son just watched passively, keeping the girl company.
They waited every night for his return, hour after hour, under the ticking of the clock.
Until he finally appeared, in broad daylight, in front of everyone.
Charlotte wanted to follow him, but she couldn't, she just couldn't move freely in the puppet suit wherever she wanted.
She simply stood there, from afar, watching as that masked man under the shadow of a golden rabbit cruelly took five children.
Evan, however, who was intangible and invisible, followed him until he saw the last drop of blood being spilled.
He couldn't believe it, he refused to see his father laugh uncontrollably with a knife in his hand and foreign blood spread all over his body, adorning the walls and the floor in crimson and vermilion.
That night, the five of them woke up, confused, lost, disoriented.
Scared of what had just happened.
Gabriel, Jeremy, Susie, Fritz and Cassidy.
Charlotte appeared in front of them, the girl's soft and delicate gaze as cold as the ice of the north pole, poisoning them with her insatiable thirst for revenge.
Evan watched it all, as the puppet lost her temper at her actions.
"Follow me, I will guide you all"
She had no control over her words.
"I don't want to stay here anymore, not one more second"
The pressure was killing her inside.
"I don't want to continue suffering this sentence"
They understood her, or so they thought.
"I will help you all, to fulfill your long-awaited revenge"
With desperation in her fragile voice, tears under her eyes.
"My long-awaited revenge"
She laced each and every one of them, in the costumes of the franchise's four animatronic representatives, promising them wealth and courage.
A worthy future resting in peace.
Find him, and kill him all at once. Give end to the condemned serial killer.
"There's not enough"
Evan spoke to Charlie, who didn't take her eyes off Cassidy.
"We'll find another one for her"
Charlotte responded, her white pupils not separating from the soulless irises of the recently killed girl, to which she remained silent.
"I have an idea"
The boy proposed.
He led them to Fredbear and Springbonnie's old suits, which had been in maintenance since the bite of the Afton family's son.
"They can be useful..."
Charlotte didn't seem very convinced, their golden colors scared her. But Cassidy cut her off by coming forward.
"I will not take the rabbit that killed me, Evan you should take it"
Cassidy made a firm statement, moving closer to the bear. No one answered, so she turned to ensure her answers, when she landed her eyes on the puppet, Charlie spoke.
"It was that same bear that killed you, not Evan?"
Charlotte's voice was flippant.
The boy looked at the bear for a few seconds, it scared him, it was terrifying. The animatronic that scared him the most of all.
His large toothy jaw scared him too much. In his nightmares, Fredbear was a huge and gloomy bear, with two mouths full of sharp teeth, one in the face, another one on the stomach because Evan was terrified that it would eat him and he would end up in its belly.
The boy thought for a few moments before speaking.
"Can two souls fit into the same suit?"
He asked. Charlie was silent thinking of an answer.
"I guess... But... Why?"
Both girls looked confused at the boy, they could see in him a look full of determination and courage.
"At some point I will have to face my fears, and I think that if this is not the moment, it never will be"
Evan answered staring at Cassidy, she nodded calmly.
Charlotte disappeared from the sight of both children, leaving them alone with the golden colored bear.
The same bear that she had in front of her right now, after around 40 years, inside the enormous Mega Pizzaplex.
Only in worse condition, with protruding wires, a missing ear, and a shattered exoskeleton in a dirty yellowish-gold color.
- He has that woman on his side, if we don't stop them it will be too late - The boy explained behind the bear's voice. - If they escape from the mall we will never find another opportunity like this, here they are trapped, they can't run away. - The girl who accompanied the previous one continued.
Marionette glanced at Scrapbaby, the humanoid nodded.
Charlie could see through Elizabeth's eyes, they were both right.
If Afton and Vanessa escaped from the Pizzaplex, it would be impossible to capture them again.
- What is the pppplan? - Elizabeth got the look of golden one.
- There is no plan - The bear replied - He knows everything, he will foresee it and avoid it.
- Then? - The voice of the humanoid was somewhat muffled by uncertainty.
- We can't beat them being us - Charlotte answered, drawing attention.
- Whattt do you mean? - Elizabeth spoke again, wanting to have things clear, her friend took turns speaking.
- Instead of thinking what we would do... Why don't we think what he would do? - Charlie proposed.
- Wouldn't that be too obvious? - Asked the golden - Attack him with his own tactics, you already know them.
- It would be... But right now he is not thinking about himself - Answered the puppet. - But in the security guard that accompanies him everywhere.
- How arrrre you so sure about ttthat? - Elizabeth asked with a trembling look.
- Because I was able to attack him while he tried to defend her... He escaped anyway, but she must have had something to make him more important than himself - Charlotte explained, aware of Afton's arrogance in himself.
The humanoid and the bear remained silent before looking at each other.
- Perhaps we fffound the weak pppoint of him? - Elizabeth proposed with her green eyes shining more intensely.
- Or his strong point... - Both voices of the golden robot spoke in unison.
The puppet moved away from the conversation a bit, looking for the rabbit's powerful presence.
- Let's go Elizabeth, we have something to do first - Charlie spoke, gaining the gaze of the aforementioned.
- We'll keep an eye on him - The bear's male voice spoke before disappearing in a golden cloud.
Both girls were left alone, the largest one approached the puppet that seemed lost in her thoughts.
Staring at nothing, eyes straight ahead of her, Charlotte spoke.
- Tell me, Eli, do you think I should trust him? - She asked fearfully in a soft voice.
- Who arrre we talking about...? - The opposite wanted to assure without understanding that she was referring to her companion.
- It's my father, Henry.. He left me here, but.. For some reason I can't get rid of this grudge inside of me - She replied, remembering when she stabbed him on stage.
The one with green eyes remained speechless, she approached the one with monochrome colors placing a hand on her shoulder.
The puppet turned to her friend.
- When you cccan't trust anyone, you kkknow that the only one who won't fffail is yourrrself - Elizabeth answered.
Charlotte froze, rethinking her partner's words.
When you have no one to trust...
Can she really stand by the side of the one who once protected her current target?
Afton was crazy, his daughter too, but... Was the same kind of insnaity?
Are there different types of madness? Or did she just want to convince herself that Elizabeth was different from her father?
Maybe she's just overthinking things. She wouldn't betray her...
Right?
After all, they are friends. Almost like family.
And the family does not betray each other.
[...]