Author's Note: I combined the first two chapters so I could make each chapter more detailed without drawing out the story like crazy. Don't worry- I didn't delete anything.
"You're coming with me," Vanessa said as she stared at Gregory. Her green eyes were colder than when she first saw him, having returned after the unnatural phenomenon that overtook her when she first met the boy. As she approached Gregory, he pulled his stolen taser out of his pocket and gave Vanessa a good shock. When Vanessa collapsed on the ground, still conscious, Gregory immediately turned around and ran away. Freddy was not far behind him. Eventually, he cornered him by a roll-up door just outside Freddy's Green Room.
"GREGORY. What were you doing?!" Freddy demanded. He was watching, dumbfounded, as Gregory shocked Vanessa to a pulp.
"I had no choice! She was out to get me," Gregory argued desperately.
"Well, it could be because you were here just before closing! We could have discussed our situation with her and maybe she would have let us stay!"
"Freddy, you don't understand. She's out to GET me. She tried to KILL me. That's why I was hiding in your stomach hatch."
Freddy's expression transformed from one of anger to one of shock and utter disbelief.
"She tried to KILL you?!" he exclaimed. Gregory nodded his head with certainty.
"Why would she try to kill you? She's just a Nightguard. I don't recognize you. I have never seen you before, so whatever you did, IF you did anything, couldn't have been THAT bad," Freddy asked, lowering his voice.
"I don't know. But you saw when she was coming, she asked what you were doing there with me. She already wanted me dead, because that taser I used on her was hers. I had no choice, she attacked me! I don't know what to do!" Gregory answered honestly. Freddy tried to come up with an argument against this, but whatever foreign presence inside of him that caused him to collapse began to act up. Right then and there, Freddy connected the dots. Vanessa was the High Alert. That's when he realized Gregory was telling the truth.
"I... believe you. Listen. This place is dangerous for you. We need to get you out. We have approximately a fifteen minute window to get you out of here. I will help you to the exit, but we must take a back way so we are not seen," Freddy said. He opened his stomach hatch for Gregory to climb inside. Then, he kneeled down and allowed Gregory to climb in.
"Be careful, I don't want to get crushed in there!" Gregory warned.
"I will be careful. It will only be for some time," Freddy assured. The two of them walked away from the roll-up door toward a double door, across from the line to enter Freddy's room. Past the double door was a hallway that led right. This hallway was built up of mostly concrete and metal. Then, a set of green metal stairs led downward. The whole place was duller, darker, and colder than the public area of the Pizzaplex.
"What is this place?" Gregory asked.
"We are about to enter the Utility tunnels. These tunnels are connected to every attraction in the Pizzaplex. There is also a way leading directly to the Main Exit. That is our destination," Freddy explained. He walked down the stairs and past many gated off areas scattered across various places off the stairs. Past these chain link fences, you could see strange drone-like machines doing various things, like cleaning or security patrolling. Freddy was able to hide Gregory from them. At the bottom of the stairs, there was one wide tunnel with various equipment and construction materials scattered about. There were a few smaller tunnels that led off this one. The dark concrete room around them was illuminated by orange lighting. As the two were passing by a smaller tunnel, Freddy stopped walking.
"Gregory, I sense you are hurt. You are bleeding! My sensors tell me you are. There is a First Aid station nearby. We are going there now," Freddy said.
"Freddy, I'm okay. We don't have time! WE NEED TO GO," Gregory protested. However, that was blatantly untrue. Gregory's left arm had been scraped because he hadn't been aware of a sharp gear inside the compartment. Freddy walked down the smaller tunnel to his right, and after a few twists and turns, they were in a storage area with a small, white curtain medical booth. Freddy let Gregory out, who walked into the booth and looked around for some bandaging and anti-bacterial. When Gregory was taking care of his wound, he watched Freddy through a peak in the slightly open curtain. Then, he heard Freddy whisper something.
"Gregory, stay quiet! Someone is coming."
~~~
Chica was practicing with her guitar after the failed concert. Playing her guitar kept her mind off distractions in her life. Her room was her favorite place to be. It was decorated in a bright pink color. Chica had food scattered across the area, and she could lounge around on her couch if she felt like it. However, she was brought out of her little world when she heard a small thud in the distance and yelling between two voices. The guitar masked most of it, but when Chica stopped playing, she could hear the voices much clearer.
"What is going on over there?" she murmured to herself. She hung her guitar up on a nearby rack and walked outside of her room. When she got a clearer view of the area around Rockstar Row, whoever was there was now gone. Chica walked down the wide hallway to see if there was a place anyone could have left through. She found no evidence of a trail, but she did find the discomforted form of Officer Vanessa scattered across the floor.
"Officer! Are you okay?!" Chica exclaimed. She rushed over to Vanessa's side, attempting to examine her injuries, if she had to. However, before Chica could get a close look, Vanessa leaped to her feet with agility that would make you think she was never down on the floor.
"Oh, what a relief!" Chica sighed. Suddenly, Vanessa swung her hand toward Chica's forehead. An unseen force pulled them together. The large animatronic entered a form of hypnotic trance. Then, Vanessa stared into the eyes of Chica. Her own eyes turned from a bright green to an equally bright red.
"You will obey me," Vanessa growled, in a voice that wasn't hers. The voice was cold, manly, growly, and light, yet deep.
"Yes...?" Chica groaned.
"Hunt the boy down. Kill him and bring him to me. Frighten him just before you dispose of him. Accomplish this at all cost. He will hide with the bear. ACT NORMAL around him," the voice commanded. After he said this, the unseen force vanished and Vanessa removed her hand from Chica's forehead. She then collapsed to the floor as she did before. The red in her eyes dulled out and faded. The animatronic blinked her eyes, as if trying to get something out. Then, she stared out into space.
"Gregory-y-y!" she called out. "Where did you go?"
"Down the stairs..." Vanessa gasped, who appeared completely unaware of what was going on. She pointed toward the Utility Hall doors. Without another word, Chica took off running for the stairs. She was going to find Gregory and KILL him. Chica began to walk through the Utility Tunnels, hoping to find any lead on Gregory or Freddy. Eventually, she stumbled across the First Aid station. Chica saw Freddy standing in front of the doorway to the room. Chica was going to push him back and search the room, but she remembered one key command- act normal around Freddy.
"Oh! Hey, Freddy? You took a pretty bad hit back on stage. Are you okay? You shouldn't even be up and about, you know," Chica asked. Freddy glanced nervously behind him as she spoke.
"Uh..." he trailed. Freddy was visibly out of his mind in nervousness.
"Nothing. I will be fine. I was just... taking a walk to relax my mind."
Chica raised her eyebrow at this statement. She had a feeling she wasn't getting the truth. "Very well. By the way, Officer Vanessa said to keep for lookout for the boy. If you find him, your programming requires that you report any suspicious activities and contact the authorities," she added. It was very obvious to anyone that she was trying to trigger Freddy's programming. But thankfully for Gregory, it didn't work. Whatever was inside Freddy was commanding his every move.
"I will keep a lookout, Chica. But you are also right about another thing- I more than likely shouldn't be out here now. I will head back to my Green Room momentarily," Freddy replied.
Chica was slightly taken aback. Judging by this response, she realized Gregory might not be with Freddy now! Narrowing her eyes in fury, she stomped off and turned back to go the way she came.
Chica knew that Freddy had no real intention of going back to his Green Room at all, but one specific rule was keeping her from turning on Freddy- act normal around Freddy. She decided that if she couldn't deal with Freddy, she would go find the boy instead. Perhaps she should guard the Main Lobby in wait of him. THAT was a good idea. Monty and Roxy would be out soon as well. They could deal with Freddy and help find Gregory...
~~~
"Gregory, it is safe now. If you are finished bandaging yourself, you may come out now," Freddy whispered. Gregory walked out of the First Aid station. He briefly glanced around the room to make sure they were really alone. Once his fears were truly assuaged, he turned toward Freddy, who was standing in the entrance to the room.
"Something is wrong. Chica was not acting like herself. I could see it in her eyes. Her attitude was rather... uncanny," Freddy said grimly.
"Now do we keep going?" Gregory replied.
"Yes, but before we do, I have something to give you," Freddy replied. He reached into his chest cavity and pulled out a small gift box. The gift box was a light cream yellow with light blue stripes around the box. The box was tied down with a red ribbon.
"Open this box. There is something important inside," Freddy instructed. Gregory took the box from the compartment, tore off the ribbon, lifted up the lid of the box, and analyzed the gift he was given. The gift was a smart watch. It had a blue strap, a golden-yellow outline with plastic decorations of a top hat, a lightning mark, and ears protruding out of the top corners.
"This is a FazWatch. It can help us communicate while we are in the Pizzaplex network. I hope you enjoy the gift!" Freddy exclaimed. Gregory gave another soft smile.
"I love it," he replied. Then, he got a notification on his watch.
"What was that?" he asked aloud.
"Check your watch, Gregory."
The notification in question was a message from Freddy himself.
"Hello, Gregory! It is me, Freddy. I am going to guide you to the exit from here. I was not given much power when they brought me back to my room, so I am going to recharge. This isn't a good night for you to be here. When they reopen in the next few days, it will be within my power to help you. Stay near the building so I can contact you if needed. Good luck, Superstar!"
At this, Gregory looked up at Freddy with a desire for answers.
"You can't come with me to the exit?!"
"No, unfortunately, I cannot make my way with you before the recharge I must undergo. Now let us go. We are wasting time!" Freddy urged. Without further ado, Gregory climbed into Freddy's chest cavity. Freddy continued down the Utility Halls and ended up at a stairwell opposite from the one the pair came down in. A climb up the stairs saw the two end up in a room of similar design to the First Aid station, but the layout was different. Off the top of the stairs, directly to the left was a gated off area. To the right was a pair of double doors at the end of a short walkway. Then, five o'clock from the red double doors was a big, round, red tube with a circular window with silver linings. It would be by Freddy's face if he were inside of it. Below the window was a light blue electricity bolt, which signified electricity.
"So... this is where I stop. Goodbye, Superstar! Best of luck on your journeys," Freddy said as he gave his farewell.
"Freddy, will we see each other again?" Gregory asked.
"We will. I can feel it. I cannot really explain, but I just KNOW we will," Freddy replied with confidence. That was the last thing he said before walking in front of the tube. As he approached, the face of the tube slid to the side. Then, Freddy walked inside and the door closed behind him. Gregory, for the time being, was alone once more. He had finally found someone who cared for him, someone who would defy the authority to help Gregory survive. And he would do the same thing to help Freddy. But for now, he had to leave. It was no longer time for him to remain here.
Gregory let out a sigh, then continued onward through the double doors. This hallway was blocked off halfway by stacks of planks and a pile of cans on top. He approached the blockage to see if there was any way over. While it was too tall for him to climb over, he could see through some of the wood scattered across the bottom. On the other side of the wreckage, on the right wall, there was a green door. There just happened to be a door on Gregory's right as well. Maybe he could get around? Gregory opened the green door in order to get past the wreckage in any way. When he opened the door, he walked in on a dirty bathroom. On Gregory's left, there was a pile of trash in front of the sinks next to the other door...
And Chica was bent over, eating from the garbage pile.
~~~
Chica was looking for Gregory, at the command of the Unseen Master. However, the quirkier aspects of her programming got to the better of her when she stumbled upon a pile of trash inside of a staff bathroom, which she could eat as a snack. The gloomy atmosphere around her fit the uncanny vibes that came with her eating literal trash. As Chica was eating the crunchy, rancid, mushy, and crusty decomposed material that lay beneath her, she heard the sound of metal buckets collapsing.
"Bock bock BOOWACK?!" she exclaimed suddenly, with metal and plastic still stuck in her beak. She plucked the garbage out of her mouth with her hands, then went to go investigate what the sound was. Chica walked out of the door directly to her left, then faced the pile of stacked wood that blocked off the hallway. The metal buckets that were on top of the wood were scattered across the floor. Chica walked up to the buckets to examine what could've possibly happened to them. But as she was watching them, she failed to notice someone sneaking out from the door behind her.
Gregory looked on in disgust as Chica picked garbage from her beak and walked out of the bathroom. However, he had no time to waste. Just before the door closed behind her, Gregory kept the door open by a crack and snuck through the doorway. Then, he gently closed it and and continued down the hallway. He avoided the chicken animatronic very narrowly.
"That was disgusting! Thank goodness she didn't see me though," Gregory muttered. He kept on walking through various storage rooms and more hallways before he reached another utility tunnel. This tunnel had many gated pathways, metal grading for the floor, screens and computers on the walls, and small vents. There was also a lot of fog. The area also had orange lighting. As Gregory was about to walk down the hallway, he heard the sound of a gate crashing behind him.
"There you are!" an extremely manly and gruff voice exclaimed. Gregory looked behind him and saw a large green alligator animatronic. Immediately, he recognized him as Monty the alligator. He was the bass player of the Glamrocks. Monty was staring him down menacingly.
"Gregory, do you hear me?" the FazWatch exclaimed suddenly. It was sounding in Freddy's voice.
"Freddy, is that you?!" Gregory replied.
"Listen to me- Monty is NOT to be trusted. I don't know what's happening to these animatronics, but I can sense it in the network. They're all out to get you. Run!" Freddy warned. Just as he was saying this, Monty let out a blood-curling roar. He was ready to pounce on his pray. Without much thought, Gregory took off running down the hallway. Monty began chasing after. The metallic thuds began to sound in higher and higher frequency and shorter proximity. As Monty was in pursuit, he began to growl and make barking-like grunts. These were the sounds of a chase...
Eventually, Gregory got stopped at the end of the hallway. He had to go left or right. He turned to run left, but a wolf animatronic he recognized as Roxanne Wolf was on the other side of a locked gate, clawing at the chained-up locks. Gregory turned to the right instead, and began to run. He ended up in an open room with brick floor and wall. There were brick pillar-like supports holding up the room. On the far right of the room, there was a passageway blocked off by multiple green boxes on top of each other. In the end of the room, there was another green stairwell. Gregory took off towards the stairs in a split-second decision, trying to escape Monty's wrath.
"Hey! Get back here lil' boy! You ain't supposed ta' be here," Monty yelled.
"I know! Where do you think I'm going?! OUT!" Gregory retorted, as the pair were clambering up the stairs. Thankfully, Gregory made it up the stairs and ran down a hallway with light gray concrete walls and orange stripes. At the end of the hall, he ran into a small room. This room was dark, gray/black, had checkered tiles, and multiple computers on a wooden desk. On either side of the room was a button, a battery display, and a doorway. Without hesitation, Gregory pressed the button by the doorway from which he came. A metal door with black and yellow paint at the bottom fell down from the top. Just like that, Gregory was locked in from Monty. However, when he went to check the time on the clock by the computer, his heart dropped down to his stomach.
It was midnight. That meant the front door was locking down Gregory was trapped in the Pizzaplex ALL NIGHT.
"No, WAIT! I'M STILL HERE," Gregory yelled out. But it was to no avail.