Chapter 12: Rock N' Roll One Last Time
"I don't like this."
"It's the only plan we've got, Greg."
Roxanne kneeled in front of him, firmly tying his shoelaces. Gregory furrowed his eyebrows, displeasure all over his face. With time running thin, they had to keep moving. If he was being honest, Gregory would rather fight Freddy, Vanny, and her army of robots. Monty is the most unhinged out of all the animatronics; it was difficult to believe his behavior was worse because of the virus taking over his programming. It felt like all the aggression he's pent up was being released tenfold. Gregory looked up at Roxy, "Monty's angry because people still blame him for Bonnie, isn't he?" he asked.
Roxy sighed, "He's more hurt that nobody believes he didn't do it; and unfortunately, the only way he knows how to express himself is to lash out," she replied.
Gregory nodded in understanding. Roxanne put her hands on her hip, "You're all set. Monty has probably been hiding out in Gator Golf," she said. "It's a comfortable place for him."
"So, I just lure him out and have him chase me?"
"Yes. He's not as fast as the rest of us; however, he'll lunge at you if he gets the chance, so keep obstacles between you and him."
The boy took a deep breath and nodded. Roxanne walked as he climbed into her mane; they have been trying to stay hidden as much as possible. The less they get spotted, the less likely Freddy or Vanny will come after them themselves. Vanny's distortion ability hurt Gregory's eyes and it made it difficult to run away; if spotted, Freddy would easily rip them apart. With luck, by taking down their second strongest player, Freddy will stop guarding Vanny and come for them himself; then, they can take him down and save the pizzaplex.
The wolf continued her way into the Atrium, sneaking between photo booths and chairs. Now and then, she would throw something over her shoulder; the bots would hear the crash and go after it, giving them a clear path. Finding Gator Golf was not challenging. Monty's Gator Golf had a large, neon green sign with plants and floating golf clubs. Roxanne walked past it and headed towards the main entrance; the entrance bot stopped her, asking for a Party Pass. In a swift movement, Roxy jumped on it and bit into its neck, ripping off the wiring connecting its head. The wolf moved the decommissioned bot away from her with her foot, "I don't have time for that crap," she said.
"That was awesome!" said Gregory.
Roxanne smiled and smugly laughed through her nose. She forced the door open and entered the golf course. Monty's Gator Golf was a large area, roughly the size of a gymnasium with dense vegetation and a pond with giant lily pads; ambient sounds of alligators, cicadas, and other animals echoed through the golf course. The main colors were purple and green, just like the attraction's mascot. Overhead, a message played through the intercom. It was Monty's Southern-accented voice that said, "Welcome to Monty's Gator Golf! Home of the Hurricane-In-One! We're currently closed for the night, come back soon!"
Roxanne hid behind some cut-outs. Gregory climbed out of her hair, then pulled out his flashlight. "Where am I leading him again?" he asked.
Roxanne kneeled to his level. "You see that metal scaffolding above? That catwalk leads to the Hurricane bucket. If you can lead him up there, I'll meet you and we'll trap him on the flying cart ride." She explained.
"And if we get there before you?"
Roxy hesitated then replied, "Use the Hurricane Bucket to crush him... if you must."
Gregory gulped. This whole night has been wondering how the hell did this place get clearance to open, and Roxy just keeps adding more stuff to the list. The little human nodded in understanding; Roxy gave him a quick hug, then ran off. Gregory turned on his heels and jogged through the golf courses, waving around his flashlight; hopefully, Monty will see it and give chase. Trying to listen for his heavy stomps was difficult since the ambient sounds were still on, so he is stuck either waiting for Monty to find him or for him to find Monty; most likely, it was the former option.
Greg was on his home turf. He's only been here a few times and was somewhat unfamiliar with the layout; he was more of a Fazer Blast kid. Most people who come here want to pretend they're in sunny Florida, staying in a fancy resort. In any case, Gregory was at a disadvantage. Monty would blend in perfectly with the foliage, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And yet, here he was, waving a flashlight around and hoping a giant, pissed-off, alligator robot started chasing him. He hates being bait.
The human boy continued to venture deeper into the attraction, his heart pounding against his chest. Gregory whimpered slightly, every muscle in his boss tense, ready for him to take off running. A bead of sweat run down his temple. He did not want to do this; however, this was the best plan they had. Plus, Gregory would eventually have to confront Monty if he wanted to defeat Vanny and return everything to normal.
Grrrr...
The boy froze. Quakes of fear coursed through him as he heard the deep rumble of growling. This wasn't the ambiance. Gregory could hear the genuine growls of an alligator; it was coming from somewhere to his right. There was nothing, really. Some plants, a hut, and a large pond. Gregory flashed his light, hoping to catch Monty's bright red mohawk or his purple claws amid the greenery. Nothing. Gregory's legs started shaking. If he wasn't hiding in the hut or the fake jungle, then... Where the hell is he?
"Where you goin'?"
Gregory jumped and looked for the source of the voice; his flashlight passed over the pond, and something reflected the light. The boy raised an eyebrow, then looked down the nearby pond. His eyes widened. Gregory moved his light again to that spot and gasped. A shining pair of yellow, star-shaped glasses looked back at him; red eyes glowed behind them. Gregory couldn't move. He made a big mistake. He walked right up to the ledge of the pond. Monty was only a few feet away from him, hiding under one of the lily pads; only his snout and eyes were visible as the rest of him was hidden underwater. Has he... Has he been watching him the whole time? How come the water hasn't short-circuited his machinery? Gregory gulped. Monty was even more sharp-witted than he thought.
There was a slight splash.
At lightning speed, Gregory jumped to the side as Monty jumped from the water, biting the space where he once was. But the boy didn't escape him entirely. His sharp claws scratched his shoulder, ripping flesh. Gregory screamed and grabbed his shoulder, feeling warm blood ooze into his hand; he tripped over his feet and fell to the ground. He quickly got up, gritting his teeth, and pushing the pain away; Monty got to his feet, shaking off the water from his shoulders. Gregory grabbed something from his bag and threw it at him. A figurine smacked into his face, nearly knocking his glasses off. Monty snarled, flashing his sharp teeth.
Gregory threw another toy at him, then sprinted towards one of the wooded areas of the golf course; Monty roared and gave chase, albeit at a much slower pace than Gregory. The boy sprinted through golf lanes and bridges; the angered alligator was somewhere behind him, roaring curses at him. Gregory zig-zagged between food stands and booths, trying to put as much distance between him and Monty, just like Roxanne said to do. His shoulder was screaming in agony, tears clouded his vision. Gregory ran and ran, gripping his bleeding shoulder.
Montgomery Gator lunged at him, crashing into a couple of tables close to him. Gregory yelped and veered left, heading straight for some double doors; an "Employees Only" sign stamped on the surface. That must be the staircase leading to the catwalk above. The injured boy limped towards it and shoved his good shoulder against the push bar.
It did not move.
Gregory put his weight on it, hoping to somehow break the safety mechanism on the door; but nothing happened. The child punched the door, "NO!" he screamed.
"There you are!"
The boy turned around. Monty slowly stomped towards him, hunched low and claws ready to rip him apart. Gregory pushed his back against the door, whimpering. The alligator chuckled, "Gotcha now, you little shit." He hissed. He crouched down, readying for a leap. Suddenly Gregory got a life-saving idea. He stared straight at Monty, glaring deeply into his eyes. Then he raised his bloody hand and flipped the bird.
Monty roared and jumped, aiming for his head. But Gregory noticed something very quickly about him; he was easily angered. And the alligator animatronic should learn something very important: think before you leap. At the last second, Gregory jumped to the side with a smirk on his face. Time slowed down as Monty realized too late what he had just done. With a thunderous crash, Monty broke through the doors, face first. He slammed into the floor and rolled, landing upside down on the staircase; his glasses shattered in front of him.
Gregory looked through the broken-down doors; Monty stretched his arms and groaned, his eyes spinning in his eye sockets. The boy briskly passed over him, purposely stepping over Monty's tail; halfway up the landing of stairs, he made an L-shape on his forehead and laughed. Monty growled. Gregory cackled like a madman, "HAHAHA! Now that's what I call croc n' roll!"
Montgomery glared daggers at him. "I. Am. An. ALLIGATOR!" he roared.
He scrambled to his feet, red eyes focused dead on him. Gregory sprinted up the staircase, continuing to laugh like the little maniac he is. He wasn't sure if he was delirious from blood loss or if he has finally reached his breaking point. Oh, who cares right now? This was what was keeping him alive at this point. He reached another set of doors and kicked them open, the sight of the metallic catwalk gracing his eyes.
Suddenly a blur of grey and red grabbed him.
Roxanne flipped her hair and held him close to her chest. Monty slammed the double doors open, popping them off their hinges. The wolf turned on her heels and sprinted towards the side, muttering, "Runrunrun." Monty called her, but she ignored him. Roxy started to gather speed. Gregory wrapped his arms around her neck, "Roxy... You're reaching the edge!" he gasped.
"Hang on!"
With little warning, she leaped off the railing and grabbed one of the floating carts from the ceiling, her claws digging deep into the metal. Montgomery's eyelid twitched. He watched in annoyed shock as the carts started to move on their own accord. Roxanne looked over her shoulder and helped Gregory climb into the cart. She put a hand over her muzzle, "What's the matter, Montgomery?! Scared of heights?" she remarked.
Monty snorted steam. "I'm turnin' you and that lil' brat inside out!" he roared.
Roxanne egged him on with her hand, "Then come and get us, you overgrown iguana."
Monty jumped into one of the carts. He smashed his fist against the surface, "If one more person mixes my species up, I swear to God! I don't care what Vanny says, I'm killin' ya myself!"
The alligator was five carts away. Carefully choosing her words, she continued to provoke and insult Montgomery; at this point, the reptile was seeing red. He leaped from one cart to the next, causing them to madly swing left to right. Roxanne looked over her shoulder and furrowed her eyebrows; the tunnel was twenty feet away. Her ears twitched as she hears another loud, metallic thud. Monty was four carts down.
The wolf continued to ignore him. This must be angering him even more because he jumped another cart as quickly as he did the first. Gregory nervously looked at her. She put a hand on his good shoulder. Gregory followed her actions, ignoring Monty and looking straight forward; whatever she was planning, all he could do was trust her.
Thud!
With a howl, Roxanne grabbed Gregory and threw him off the cart. The boy landed on the other side of the catwalk just as they were crossing the tunnel. Roxanne whirled around coming face to face with Monty. He jumped onto her cart, his weight causing it to sway. Roxanne leaned on her elbows and shoved him off the cart and into the wall; the cart swung in his direction and pinned him down. The wolf tore the support mechanism above; the cart stopped moving. She jumped down to Gregory as the other carts started piling on top, trapping the reptilian underneath; he screamed and thrashed but his legs and tail were firmly held down.
Roxanne picked Gregory up and noted his wounds. She moved her green hair strand from her face, "You're going to be okay, Greg." she promised.
"It hurts really bad..."
Roxanne gently pushed back the shredded sleeve and grimaced. "I'm sure it does."
She picked him up, leaning his head on her shoulder. Roxanne looked at the thrashing animatronic, saddened by what he has become. But she couldn't think about that now. Just like with Chica, she had to push down her emotions. Roxy turned around and started to walk away, but a sound caught her attention.
"Tell the kid I'm sorry..."
The wolf animatronic turned around. Monty's eyes glowed with remorse and struggle. Roxanne frowned, "I'll come back for you, bubba. Sit tight, okay?" she asked. With great difficulty, Monty stiffly nodded and watched as Roxanne took off towards the nearest first-aid station.