Chapter 11: Running Like A Headless Chicken
The kitchen was an extensive area with orange and red tiles; metal shelves holding cardboard boxes lined the walls. Ovens and other cooking appliances occupied most of the spaces, their silver bodies polished to a shimmering sheen. The place reeked of marinara sauce.
Roxanne and Gregory carefully waded their way through the kitchen, avoiding the flashlights of the security bots. The wolf sneaked through the hallway on all fours, hiding behind cabinets and counters. If her memory was correct, the bait she is looking for should be on the highest shelf. All they had to do was grab it and head to the Atrium. As she maneuvered her way through the kitchen, she felt Gregory shift inside her hair. The little guy did an amazing job repairing her; without him, Vanny would still be torturing her. It felt nice to be whole rather than pieces. Gregory's tiny hand tapped her shoulder, "Roxy. Is it that thing up top?" he asked. Roxanne looked at where he was pointing and nodded.
There was a bright green box on the highest shelf; purple lightning bolts decorated the cardboard surface. Roxanne hid underneath a metal table. She lightly glared at the security that passed them, lips pulling back in a snarl. These security bots are seriously getting on her damn nerves. Roxanne slowly crawled away from her hiding place, then swiftly headed to the shelf; she gently lifted Gregory onto her shoulders and had him stand on them, firmly holding his ankles. Slightly grunting, the boy reached for the box, barely reaching it with his fingertips; Roxanne lifted on her tiptoes, allowing him to finally reach the box. Gregory dropped into her arms and the two quickly ran out of the kitchen.
Briskly walking through the slightly illuminated hallway, Roxanne headed to the Atrium. She stopped by a photo booth, her eyes feverishly searching for her target. Her artificial heart sunk with dread as she realized what needed to be done; however, it was not as bad as it could be. The plan was to trap Chica in Mazercise. The walls were taller than she is so she cannot climb out; furthermore, they are too heavy and thick for her to even break down if she tries. The maze would be set on a timer, constantly changing the walls and always blocking the exit; that way, she is in a constant state of confusion. It hurt her heart since Roxanne knew Chica was not a fan of confined places; additionally, she would be alone. But she has to push her feelings aside. They had less than two hours to get the others out of his way before facing off with Vanny. Gregory moved around in her mane. He held the box under her snout, "Roxanne, what is this stuff?" he asked.
Roxy took the box, "It's Monty Mystery Mix. Chica's crazy for this stuff," she replied.
"Wait, wait. Y'all can eat?!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah! We have artificial "stomachs" per se. It's so we can better interact with the kids; sometimes, when I see a kid crying, I'll sit down with them and have ice cream to make them feel better."
"That's... actually kind of cool."
Suddenly her ears perked up, a growl resonated in her throat. Gregory quickly got out of her hair and got into a running position. Roxanne got on one knee, "Remember the plan?" she asked.
"Yeah!"
Roxy snorted. "Good. When I get Chica into the maze, input the code, then run! Our chase is going to make a lot of noise."
Greg nodded, "I'll hide in a stroller near the arcade."
Roxy looked through the photo booth. There, in a purple outline, was Chica. She was slightly hunched over as she walked down the hall and up the stairs. When the coast was clear, Gregory took off. The wolf sprinted in the opposite direction. Roxy headed up the stairs, then whistled. Glamrock Chica stopped. With twitchy movements, she looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes. Her colorful leg warmers were dull with dirt and dust. Parts of her thighs and toes were cracked and broken; her lower beak was slightly unhinged. Chica raised her hands, "Roxanne. You're not supposed to be here," she said.
Roxy flipped her hair. "Well, I didn't feel like staying in Parts and Service, " she replied. "However, I've come to make a peace offering."
Chica tilted her head. It was somewhat unsettling. "Peace offering?"
In a dramatic pose, Roxanne revealed the bright green box of mysterious goodness. She gently shook it, the contents rattling within. Chica's lavender eyes turned to their familiar blue. She squealed and put her knuckles against her cheeks, "Is that- MONTY MYSTERY MIX?!" she gasped.
Roxy's tail wagged, "I knew Vanny could never overwrite your love for food. You love this stuff," she said.
"I also love you, Roxy."
Roxy's internal fans went off as her cheeks reddened. Curse her only weakness: Chica. The chicken put her hands together, "Come on, hand it over! I'm starving," she giggled.
Roxy tilted her head. "Hmm... I'll give it to you for the teensy price of a kiss," she joked with a wink.
Chica's painted whiskers glowed slightly. Roxanne smirked to herself. She's so cute when she's flustered, she thought. She opened her beak to say something when suddenly her eyes turned purple again. Chica screamed and clutched her head. She thrashed around, almost like she was fighting somebody off. Roxanne's ears drooped, "Babe? What's wrong?" she asked. Her partner looked up; one of her eyes was her natural blue while the other was that cursed purple. Chica took one menacing step forward, "Then come get your kiss, Roxanne." she growled.
"Is that Chica talking or Vanny talking?" snapped Roxy.
The fitness animatronic screeched, the sound overwhelming Roxanne's sensitive ears. The wolf whimpered, turned on her heels, and ran. The heavy metallic footsteps behind her indicated Chica was chasing after her. Roxanne felt angry. No, she was downright pissed off. Vanny was using Chica's love for food as fuel for a murderous rampage; using her friend's personality was deplorable. Not only that but the fact she is making her cheery, kind-hearted girlfriend against her made her want to rip Vanny apart, bit by bit.
Roxanne leaped over the railing, slightly yelping as she fell on top of a Sodaroni stand and slid off. The wolf fell on her side with a small whimper but continued running. Chica growled then took the stairs; Roxy slightly waited for her. She needed the hen to follow her, so she can properly trap her in Mazercise. The pink bird jumped the last flight of stairs, "Get back here, you mangy mutt!" she shouted.
"Mangy?! Excuse you, I am a goddess! You look like a failed Frankenstein experiment, Vanny."
Chica's eyes turned completely blue. She stopped running and pumped her fists in the air, "Get 'er, Roxanne!" she said in her normal, happy voice. Her head twitched again as Vanny took control once again. Her beak contorted into a grimace, "Ugh. What an annoying voice," she said in a darker tone. Roxanne put a hand on her hip and shook the box of Monty Mix. Chica came back, then dashed towards her; the wolf bolted, running across the Atrium halls without a care in the world. The worst thing that could happen was that Monty or Freddy came into the scene; Roxy can manage Chica just fine, but those two? Yeah, they better stay in their respective areas.
As she sprinted, she swiped aside security bots; might as well get rid of some of these annoying heaps of metal and make her and Gregory's lives easier. Furthermore, the bots collapsing in front of Chica would slow her down. Well, as much as Chica can be slowed down. Her insatiable appetite could make her act... Feral. Roxanne should continue running.
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Gregory anxiously awaited by the Mazercise control panel, munching on a bag of cookies; he managed to snag the snack before he came in here while he was passing one of the stands. He found it weird that a gym would give out unhealthy food like cookies and pizza. The point of a gym is to get healthy, right? Gregory shrugged it off. It was probably some mind trick the company produced so people can keep coming here.
Suddenly he heard a familiar howl. Gregory quickly dropped the bag and stood up, dusting off crumbs from his shirt. He pulled up the security camera and saw Roxanne sliding around a corner, waving her right hand in the air; Chica ran after her at a farther distance. Her hands were poised into claws. Gregory raised an eyebrow, "Jeez... She wasn't lying when she said Chica's crazy for that stuff," he said to himself. He vaguely remembered reading the mix's back label and seeing mostly chemicals. Gregory made a mental note to never eat that stuff.
Moving his attention back to the monitor, Roxanne entered the Maze and started running through it; having memorized the layout, Chica was at a clear disadvantage. She stopped for a second slightly confused on where Roxy turned. Then, she quickly headed in her direction. Gregory watched as Roxy continued to lure her by shaking the Monty Mix and luring her deeper into the trap. The boy was glad she formulated this more humane form of decommissioning. Chica was far less likely to hurt them or herself while she was trapped in a constantly changing maze. They would come later for her and do any repairs she needs. That is if they make it through the night.
"Gregory, NOW!"
Roxanne dropped the box and made a mad dash for the exit; distracted by the sugary snack, Chica gave up her chase and dove for the mix, ripping it open and eating handfuls of it. Gregory moved over to the controls and started putting in the combination; after five tense seconds, he punched the command button. As Chica munched on the strange concoction, the walls around her shifted. The wolf was nowhere within the labyrinth. She appeared next to Gregory, slightly flushed; he could hear her internal fans going off, probably as a result of overheating from running. Roxanne walked over to the little screen near the controls and frowned.
Chica realized it was a trap. She appeared to be panicking, frantically running through the passageways and running into dead ends; the frightened hen hugged herself as she struggled to find the exit. Roxy's tail drooped, "You'll be safe here, love." she whispered.
Gregory gently tapped her leg, "She'll be safe here, Roxy," he assured her.
"Yeah..."
The upset wolf gently grabbed his hand and the two exited Mazercise, making their way to the next area. Gregory was not particularly ready for his next target. Never in his life did he ever consider doing alligator wrestling.
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Author's Note:
Decided to add a little Roxy x Chica. Hope y'all don't mind!