Hello there, UltimateDemonBeast65 here with another chapter of Remnants of Ghosts! We apologise for not getting this chapter out sooner, we all had emergencies and other things going on, but also not as much motivation to write some days. But we pulled ourselves together and finished the chapter, and we hope you enjoy it!
DISCLAIMER: If anyone has any questions or criticism, review or PM me, but also, PLEASE if you're going to make a review, don't just leave a "good job" or "nice chapter" or a one to two to three-word response. PLEASE give us insightful reviews, both so that we know what you guys would like to see and also if there are any parts you might have done differently or done better.
Also remember that the Commander's name in this setting is Gareth Isageum, and any mention of the first or last name is referring to the Commander.
Five Nights at Freddy's is owned by Scott Cawthon and Steel Wool Games
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is owned by the SHIFT UP Corporation and Level Infinite
Mighty Tools' Workshop, The Outpost, 218X
"So...this is what was inside the Toy Store the whole time?" Liter asked as she inspected the deactivated bear animatronic.
"That's what they said." The Commander replied. "It was hiding in the storage room, and appeared to vanish from time to time."
"That would explain why none of the other Nikkes could find it." Centi commented as she also inspected the animatronic bear. "What do you make of this, Liter?"
"Well, for one thing, this robot bear is quite a fossil." Liter explained. "The hardware on this guy is outdated, I'd say mid 21st Century technology."
"Wait, hold on a sec, are you telling me this thing is over a hundred years old?!" Anis exclaimed in disbelief.
"As you know, most of the robots manufactured in the Ark are designed with dense carbon fiber in mind with some of them, mainly the robots that were built to resemble animals from the modern world, possessing an artificial anatomy." Centi explained.
"That's how you get cute critters like Volt over here." Liter said, patting her robotic canine companion, who barked affectionately. "But this bear has no sign of any carbon fiber nor any systems or functions that would allow it to eat, sleep or breathe."
"I don't think that whoever built this thing was trying to create a life-like bear." Centi pondered. "If anything, this looks more like those old animatronics used at children's restaurants. Can you see any dates, initials or branding anywhere?"
Liter then carefully prided the stomach of the animatronic bear open, revealing the space within its stomach cavity while also seeing glimpses of the endoskeleton inside.
"So if this robot bear is really over a hundred years old, do you think it would be worth something on the market?" Neon asked curiously.
"You're not planning on selling this rust-bucket, are you?" Anis questioned in a suspicious glance.
"No! I was just curious if it was worth something, considering that it's basically an antique robot." Neon replied with an annoyed pout.
"You might wanna rethink that idea." Liter said as she examined the animatronic. "According to this, it belongs to a company."
"Which company? Missilis? Tetra?" Rapi asked.
"Fazbear Entertainment." Liter answered, surprising and/or confusing the others.
"Never heard a single thing about them." Anis commented. "I mean, Fazbear? I guess it checks out, given the animatronic bear."
"Whoever they are, it seems as though the company had been making animatronics before the First Invasion." Rapi concluded.
"Fazbear...." Centi said, trying to figure out why that name was familiar to her. "Hey, isn't that the name of that new pizzeria that opened up in the Ark?"
"Wait what?" The Commander said surprised. "You're telling me a company from before the First Invasion somehow survived without being wiped out by one of the Big Three?"
"Well, the funny thing is, neither of us have heard of Fazbear Entertainment until recently." Liter explained. "We were under the impression it was a fairly new company, given that it only opened up its shop the other day. Maybe you should ask Talentum more about it, given that business is their forte."
"That sounds like a good idea." The Commander said with a nod. "And what about the animatronic?"
"What about it?" Liter asked.
"Can it be fixed?" The Commander asked the Mighty Tools members.
"Of course it can." Centi replied eagerly. "That being said, we would need to replace the outdated hardware and also check on the CPU. This battery pack only lasts 3 hours, so we'll need to replace it with an internal core and outfit the endoskeleton with carbon fiber."
"Now, hold on just a second." Liter said, stopping her protégé. "This animatronic doesn't belong to us, not to mention said company has somehow resurfaced a century later, making them technically the owners of this big guy."
"Then why haven't they claimed it?" Neon questioned, earning a groan from Anis.
"They probably don't even know this rust bucket is here." Anis said with a huff. "Anyway, I say screw those corporate slobs, we should fix the animatronic and keep it here at the Outpost."
"And what would we do with a hundred-plus year old animatronic bear?" The Commander questioned.
"Maybe one of the squads could use it in one of their shops. I'm sure Cocoa would geek out at the sight of this robot." Centi suggested.
"Hmm..." The Commander hummed, starting to think before he looked at Rapi. "What do you think we should do, Rapi?"
"While it's true that if Fazbear Entertainment has resurfaced, then they could claim the animatronic as their property if they wanted to." Rapi explained. "However, given that they seem to not be aware of its presence, they probably wouldn't care about an animatronic from over a hundred years ago that possesses outdated tech."
"Also, isn't it true that when something is a hundred years old or over that it becomes public domain?" Anis asked.
"If the creator of said property has been dead for 70 years or more, then yes." Rapi replied. "Given that the original creators of this animatronic most likely died before or after the First Invasion, I would think that the copyright no longer applies. That being said, Commander, whatever we choose to do with the animatronic, falls to your decision as our C.O. and the highest ranking member of the Outpost."
"Liter, Centi, get this big guy fixed up. If you have to replace the parts, then do it." Commander Isgaeum said. "Once the repairs have been made, I'll make my decision."
"Alright then, let's get to work, Centi!" Liter said before the two of them began to repair the ancient animatronic.
"What should we do in the meantime, Commander?" Anis wondered.
"If Fazbear Entertainment as a company is back, then maybe we should check the place out. Talentum should be able to provide us with more info too, given that we struck a deal the other day in regard to the resources and budget in the Outpost." The Commander replied.
"Then it's a trip to the Ark today?" Neon asked.
"Yep." The Commander said with a nod.
"Let's be on our way then." Rapi said, in which she and the others left for the Ark.
Talentum - BlaBla Chat Room
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Hello? Is anyone here?
Rupee: Oh!
Rupee: Hi there, Sweetie! <3
Dolla: Client.
Yan: Howdie.
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Hello ladies.
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: I was wondering if I could ask you three something.
Dolla: Hmm...
Dolla: That depends on what it is.
Yan: What she said, Rookie. This isn't anything legally dubious, correct?
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: No, nothing like that. At least I think so.
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Does the name 'Fazbear Entertainment' mean anything to the three of you?
Rupee: !!!
Dolla: !!!
Yan: !!!
Rupee: Wow, are you a mind reader, Sweetie~?
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: ???
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: What do you mean?
Yan: Well, to answer your question, yes, we have.
Yan: In fact, we were there when the Boss approved the Fazbear CEO's proposal for Tetra Line.
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Mustang gave them the approval to build a pizzeria in the Ark?
Dolla: Sounds like someone did their homework.
Dolla: The company lacked the funds to build their business, so the Boss agreed to fund them.
Rupee: We probably shouldn't discuss too much of what happened in the chat.
Rupee: But it was definitely something. I've even thought about doing a livestream at the pizzeria soon.
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Sounds like fun. Are any of you at Rusty Road currently?
Yan: Currently in a meeting, but I will be at Rusty Road later in the afternoon.
Rupee: I am!
Rupee: We could meet up there right now if you like, Sweetie~!
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Sure, sounds like a great idea!
Dolla: Count me out.
Dolla: I have a deal with a client coming up soon.
Dolla: Besides, children's restaurants aren't exactly my thing.
Sweetie/Client/Rookie: Alright then, me and Counters will meet you in Rusty Road, Rupee. We're halfway down the elevator ride.
Rupee: See you soon, Sweetie! <3
Yan: Catcha later, Rookie
— END —
Rusty Road, The Ark, 218X
"Hellooo, my lovely Lupins!" Rupee said in a bubbly tone a second after she pressed record with her selfie stick. "Today's stream is going to be special! Some of my viewers who live in the Ark might know that there's a brand-new establishment joining the family of businesses under the Tetra Line umbrella. Hope you're all a fan of pizza and arcade games, because today we're going to check out the one and only Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex!"
Rupee continued to walk as she kept the selfie stick in front of her, addressing her audience.
"But wait, my Lupins, there's more~! Soon we'll be tagged along by someone you've seen many times before on the livestream." Rupee continued to explain. "Who is it you might be asking? Well for longtime viewers, you might have an idea as to who. But for newcomers, you're just going to have to wait and see!"
As Rupee was addressing her audience, Gareth Isageum and the Counters had entered Rusty Road and weren't too far from her location.
"She should be over here somewhere." The Commander said, using the livestream to pinpoint Rupee's location.
"There she is!" Anis said, pointing over to where the business tycoon and live-streamer was. "She's livestreaming right now!"
"Isn't she always livestreaming when we see her, though?" Neon questioned.
"True..." Anis said dumbfounded.
"Sweetie, over here~!" The four squadmates heard Rupee call in the distance, prompting them to go towards her. "Congratulations to the lucky Lupins who all submitted the correct answer as to who was going to guest star in this stream! Don't be shy, Sweetie, say hellooo~!"
"Hello everyone." The Commander said and waved into the camera with a small smile.
"So, ready to join me today in checking out the newest and coolest establishment in children's restaurants?" Rupee asked the Commander with a smile.
"You bet." Commander Isegaeum replied simply.
"Then let's hop to it~!" Rupee said, taking the Commander's arm and pulling him along, with the Counters following behind awkwardly. "Now, I'm sure everyone, Sweetie included, is probably wondering: Just where on Earth did Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex come from?"
"Yeah...that is what we want to know." Anis said.
"The Pizzaplex was created by Fazbear Entertainment as part of a revival plan thought up by their new CEO." Rupee started to explain. "Yes, that's right, none of you might be aware of this, but Fazbear Entertainment has been a corporate identity since the 20th Century. Why did it take them so long to open back up again? Well, perhaps it has to do with the fact that the First Invasion happened a year after the company filed for bankruptcy, and with the Raptures conquering the surface, there was nowhere for Fazbear Entertainment to continue their franchise."
"So now that there's a safe place in the form of the Ark, Fazbear Entertainment can rebuild their company?" The Commander asked.
"Yep, and the ownership of the company had been bestowed upon one of the old executive's grandsons, who desired to restore a nostalgic and child-like sense of wonder back into the world!" Rupee answered.
"Sounds like they care about children's entertainment." Rapi commented. "And what exactly does the CEO mean by nostalgic?"
"Since the company's conception, Fazbear Entertainment had taken the idea created by Chuck E. Cheese, a children's entertainment company founded in 1977 involving pizzerias with animal-themed animatronics, and perfected it in ways that their business rival failed to excel in." Rupee explained with an excited tone. "Turns out, the company was founded by genius roboticists and because of their breakthrough in technology and software, they ended up creating the most advanced animatronics known to man. And mind you, this was all back in the 1980s, and they were using technology that was on par with what the Ark would achieve in its founding days."
"You're pulling our legs!" Anis exclaimed in disbelief. "You're telling me a pizzeria chain with animatronics was also creating robots before the First Invasion? And yet they never presented any of this to the government or some laboratory?"
"Maybe they just wanted to make robots to entertain children." Neon concluded in a simple tone. "From what I've read about the history of the Surface, engineering companies back then built other things outside what they're known for making. For example, there was a washing machine company that also designed and manufactured a gatling gun used by fighter jets. So, perhaps Fazbear Entertainment was doing something similar at the time."
"Huh....that's something you don't hear every day..." Anis said, perplexed by Neon's answer.
"Back to the company, Fazbear Entertainment offered Tetra's boss a proposition: They would build a massive complex, a pizzeria on par with and even surpassing their last big project, and if it proved a success and could appeal to their targeted demographic, then they would be able to create pizzerias all over the Ark, and then the surface once we've reclaimed it from the Raptures. Tetra's CEO accepted the proposal, and voilà! The Ark is now home to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex!"
"That's quite the interesting backstory." The Commander said as he, the Counters and Rupee had arrived at their destination.
The pizzeria was significantly larger than the Commander and the Counters thought it was going to be. A neon sign above the entrance displayed the name of the location in red and blue lights, the building itself had red, black and white painting with some pizza themed decor around it. As well as some artwork of humanoid animals on the walls, presumably they're the cast of characters of the Pizzaplex.
"Woah...." Gareth said in amazement.
"That's a big pizzeria..." Anis said in surprise.
"I'll say, it's like a shopping mall!" Neon exclaimed.
"Looks amazing, doesn't it, my dear Lupins?" Rupee asked into the camera. "Why don't we all take a look inside the Pizzaplex, shall we?"
The five of them then proceeded to enter the building, in which the front door opened automatically as the two doors slid inwards to let them through into the lobby. Just a few feet from the entrance were booths for people to buy or scan their tickets in order to receive their wristbands, with almost every adult in line being a parent having one to four kids alongside them. Past the booths was a gift shop on the right side of the building, on the left there was a room for lost and found items, and in the center was a set of stairs and escalators with a sign hanging overhead that read, "This way to the Atrium!".
"Talk about a big lobby! Three stores I know of could fit in here!" Anis exclaimed.
"And to think this is only just the lobby, there's so much more to explore~!" Rupee said excitedly.
"Indeed." Rapi said with a nod.
"So, where should we go first?" The Commander asked.
"Let's make our way to the Atrium once we get our wristbands." Rupee answered as she got in line, with the other four following her promptly.
After waiting about ten minutes in line, the five paid for their wristbands for the day's attendance and took the escalator up to the Atrium. The outside and lobby of the building already had left the Commander and Counters' mouths wide open, the sight of the Atrium was a sight to behold on its own.
The Atrium had a large performance stage with various chairs and tables arranged across the floor. There were various food stalls and shops, including Chica's Dessert Server, the Mexican themed El Chip's Eatery, and Faz-Smoothie's in various colours and flavors. There were more stairs and escalators that led to the second floor, with more attractions that went along with the theme of the pizzeria; Foxy's Getaway, Freddy's Firefight, Bonnie's Cyberware Shop, and the Virtual Daycare along with two arcade sections and an adult section with a bar and a DJ animatronic right next to it.
"Are you sure this was meant to be a pizzeria?" Anis asked in complete disbelief. "It's more like a mini-amusement park or some kind of fair all in one building!"
"Doesn't matter! This all looks like fun to me!" Neon commented excitedly.
"So, what's the plan?" The Commander asked Rupee.
"What if we tried all the attractions one by one? That way, we get the full experience of the Pizzaplex and can rank which attraction was the best one after!" Rupee explained.
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Neon said with a chipper tone. "But which one should we start with?"
"Hmmm, how about we go from left to right, starting on the first floor?" The Commander suggested. "Though I guess the only attraction on the first floor is Foxy's Getaway."
"What do you think, dear Lupins? Should we start downstairs and work our way up?" Rupee asked into her camera.
"Let's just go before the line gets any longer." Anis said as she and Neon entered the line of Foxy's Getaway, followed up by Rapi, Rupee and the Commander.
Waiting in line for this ride already felt longer compared to the time waiting out at the entrance. The sheer amount of people meant that the ropes had to be arranged to where it snaked back around several times. Though it seems like everybody, including the younger children, didn't seem to mind too much as the sound of go-karts driving around the track had everybody excited to experience the ride.
"Also forgot to ask, but based on some of the names I've seen posted around, I assume that the pizzeria has some sort of theme?" The Commander asked Rupee.
"Right you are, Sweetie, Fazbear Entertainment decided on a cyberpunk themed pizzeria to reflect the current culture of the Ark, but also borrowing aspects of their company's roots." Rupee explained. "Apparently, they even requested to make attractions based on Raptures."
"Doesn't that sound a little offensive though?" Anis asked skeptically.
"Raptures can be used commercially so long as they are portrayed as an adversary and not an ally." Rupee replied.
"We've seen the Ark use Raptures in marketing and merchandising before, their existence is essentially a fact of life at this point in history." Rapi argued.
"It's not like they're glorifying the Raptures' actions either, they're just a good villain or enemy to use because of how much humans hate them." Neon added.
"I'm sure everything here is perfectly legal, 'cause I don't think Mustang or Talentum would sign off on this place if it wasn't appropriate." The Commander said.
"I suppose you're right about that, Commander." Anis commented.
As Gareth and his squad waited in line with Rupee, it got shorter and shorter as time went on. However, upon reaching near the entrance to the attraction, they spotted someone being quite loud and attentive from behind them.
"Move aside, make way for the Ultimate Villain!"
"Is that who I think it is....?" Anis groaned.
"Yep." Neon replied simply with the same level of annoyance.
The Commander looked behind him and saw a familiar white haired girl in a black and red suit with high-tech armour plating and a cape. It was Drake.
"Wait, is that Drake?" One of the people in line said in surprise.
"The Drake of Matis?!" Another said, shocked.
"She's one of the Ark's heroes! And she's here of all places!"
It wasn't long before Drake had progressed further enough in the line that she was now right behind the Commander and his group. Commander Isaguem sighed and scratched his head, preparing for yet another moment of antics.
"Commander? What are you doing here with Rupee?" Drake asked.
"Well, it's a long story." The Commander replied. "What about you?"
"I wanted to try out the racetrack." Drake simply replied.
"And you just decided to casually cut through the line?" Anis asked while squinting her eyes.
"Well of course, I am the greatest villain in all the Ark!" Drake responded proudly.
"What a surprise, my dear Lupins!" Rupee said, positioning her phone to where Drake was in view. "Here we have Matis' very own Drake in line for Foxy's Getaway at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex! So tell us, Drake, why did you want to come to the Pizzaplex today?"
But before Drake could answer her question, there was the sound of loud metallic footprints approaching them as the crowd began to look in a specific direction. Soon after, two tall and slender robots approached the area that the Commander, his squad, Rupee and Drake were in.
They were mainly white with a mannequin-like appearance and wore waistcoats, three buttons on their chest region and a bow tie around their necks. They also wore fedoras with the words "STAFF" embroidered on them. Their most notable feature however was instead of a face, they had a dark screen with light blue pixels forming a basic face with eyes and a mouth. These were STAFF Bots, a standard robot model deployed as members of staff and security.
"Ma'am, you are in violation of the Pizzaplex's rules regarding queuing." One of the STAFF Bots spoke in an electronic-sounding voice. "Please return to your spot in line. Failure to do so will add a strike to your Fazbear Account."
"These robots really do sound like machines..." Anis remarked, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, what he said, ma'am." The other STAFF Bot spoke in a strangely human manner.
"How did it talk so casually?!" Neon exclaimed.
"I'm certainly surprised to hear them speak like this as well." The Commander said while tilting his head in curiosity.
"People personality programs, some businesses use them to make their AIs or robots more human-like in behaviour." Rapi explained.
"Please return to your place in line." One of the STAFF Bots repeated.
"Darn...well I guess I better head to the back..." Drake groaned before moving her way back while escorted by the two STAFF Bots.
"And there she goes..." Anis said with a sigh. "Are we almost at the front yet?"
"We're just about there, actually." Rupee replied, who had been streaming the situation the whole time for her viewers. "Just when you thought things couldn't get more juicy, Drake of Matis was caught cutting in line by the Pizzeria's security. If they can keep up with one of the Ark's heroes, then the engineers behind these robots could give Missilis a run for their money."
"It would seem so, but is Tetra Line really okay with funding Fazbear Entertainment's machinery?" Anis asked.
"Our CEO did approve the funding after all, but I do admit that I wasn't expecting their animatronics and other robots to be this sophisticated but also so retro." Rupee said in amazement.
"Oh hey look, we're at the front of the line!" Neon said excitedly, to which the others then looked and saw they were right in front of the entrance to Foxy's Getaway.
All five of them went into their own go-karts, which were modeled after a futuristic looking police car. The attraction began when the titular character of this ride appeared in a getaway car once the other people behind the group sat in their karts and strapped in.
"Uh oh, Full-Borg Foxy is on the run, recruits! After that no-good criminal!" An audio clip played through the attraction as everyone that took part began to prepare their engines for takeoff. "Ready, set, GO!"
Everyone inside a kart then took off, zooming around the track as they 'chased' Full-Borg Foxy in his getaway car.
"You won't catch me, meatbags!" An audio clip of Foxy played through the speaker.
The Commander and Counters kept driving around the kart track, while Rupee tried to multitask, driving the kart while streaming it for her fans. 20 minutes went by and their turn was over, to which Gareth, Counters and Rupee left the attraction.
"Okay...that was actually kinda fun!" Anis said in a chipper tone.
"Yeah, I thought it was just going to be for kids, but that kart track was awesome." Neon said in agreement.
"Those karts move fairly fast and have impressive steering capabilities." Rapi remarked. "Whoever designed them has gone the extra mile to make it feel like you're in a race car."
"Well, my lovely Lupins, that was Foxy's Getaway! Tell us in the thread what you all thought of the ride! Personally, I thought it was cool and an excellent attraction for children and parents alike~!" Rupee told her audiences before coming up to the Commander and wrapping an arm around him. "And what did you think of the ride, Sweetie~?"
"O-Oh, it was great!" The Commander said sheepishly, due to being so close to Rupee and her cleavage. "Would definitely do it again given the chance."
"So which attraction are we going on next?" Neon asked excitedly.
"Maybe we should get some food before going to the next ride." The Commander suggested.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, driving those karts has got me a little peckish." Anis said in agreement.
"I was actually curious to see what the food court has." Neon chimed in.
"Ooo, great idea! I can show my Lupins all of the different menu items and rank them on stream~!" Rupee exclaimed excitedly.
"Guess we're heading back to the Atrium then." Rapi said, to which Commander Isageum nodded in agreement and the group of one man and four women headed back to the Atrium.
Mighty Tools' Workshop, The Outpost, 218X
Ever since receiving the old bear animatronic, Liter and Centi had been busy doing their best to repair the withered and damaged automaton. They had to replace so many components simply because of how outdated the hardware and software was from the Ark's, not to mention having to graft carbon fiber into its endoskeleton and exterior casing. While the Mighty Tools members were at first hesitant to work on the animatronic, they quickly cast aside their doubts and got into the spirit of fixing the ursine robot.
"Hey, Liter!" Centi called out to her mentor.
"Yeah?" Liter asked.
"How are we paying for all of these resources? We spent most of our budget fixing stuff around the Outpost." Centi questioned.
"I'm sure Greenhorn will come up with something, though I doubt Talentum would fund the repairs, given that they might want us to give this rust bucket back to its original owners." Liter explained.
"I guess you're right." Centi said, before finishing off some adjustments. "Alright, I've reinforced the endoskeleton and grafted carbon fiber in the interior and the exterior. How are you doing on your end?"
"The internal core had been adjusted to be compatible with the animatronic's mainframe, though we still need to check the CPU's condition, gotta make sure the A.I. is running correctly and not corrupted." Liter explained.
"Sweet, now this big guy can last for months without needing a recharge!" Centi said with a smile. "Should we put the core in before or after the CPU diagnosis?"
"After, as we need to ensure the core won't overload the CPU's processor." Liter replied.
"Alright, let's get this battery pack out." Centi said as she then reached into the bear animatronic's chest cavity and carefully removed the battery pack while making sure not to tear or break the wiring then tossed the outdated battery pack onto the bench.
"Good work, Centi, you've improved your delicacy with machine parts." Liter said before giving Volt a pat on the head. "Now for the CPU. We'll need to open his head up and jack it. But we'll also need help in regard to the IT aspect of this conundrum. Get Protocol on the line, we're going to need Exia's assistance if we don't want to screw this up."
"I'll send them a message on BlaBla." Centi said while taking out her phone.
"Thanks, hun." Liter said with a nod.
A few messages here and there, and soon after arrived a young looking girl with dark grey hair wearing a loose coat and shirt dress with sandals. The girl was Exia, a member of Protocol and an expert hacker and software engineer.
"Alright, let's get this over with. There's a Final Quest raid happening in 30 minutes and I refuse to be late to it." Exia said in a melancholy tone as she got out her laptop and set it up. "Get the jack cables ready."
Liter then took out some cables from a nearby drawer and then opened up the bear animatronics' head by lifting the top jaw upwards, splitting the face in half and exposing the endoskeletons' head. She then stuck the cables into the side of the head before plugging them into Exia's laptop. Shortly afterward, the prompt of the animatronic's CPU appeared on the screen and Exia began her work, quickly typing away on the keyboard.
"Talk about ancient software, where did you find this technological fossil?" Exia asked while her eyes were still focused on the screen.
"Would you believe the toy store?" Centi retorted.
"....What?" Exia said in confusion.
"To be more specific, the backroom storage of the toy store." Liter clarified. "Belorta and Mica only saw its yellow eyes and silhouette in the dark at first before the Counters and Scouts checked out the room along with Greenhorn. Though we still aren't exactly sure how it got there in the first place."
"I guess that makes more sense..." Exia said.
"The animatronic might be owned by a company that has recently surfaced in the Ark, but the Commander told us to fix it, so we are. But a lot of the parts and machinery is outdated, and so we are performing some upgrades." Centi explained.
"And you needed my help with the CPU diagnosis." Exia said, to which the two Mighty Tool members nodded. "Well, at least you knew to come to the leading expert instead of some noob or amateur."
"So, how does it look inside of our big friend? Any issues or malware?" Liter asked.
"I'm surprised that the circuitry and wiring is still intact, not to mention how little decay and rust has appeared. It's old, older than you, Liter, but it's somehow still functioning, even after all this time." Exia said as she looked through the CPU's inner workings. "There are a few files in here that are corrupted or missing, but the AI's primary matrix is in good condition. Whoever designed it was some sort of genius, that's for sure."
"So, does that mean we can put the internal core in now?" Centi asked with a hint of excitement.
Exia let out a sigh before giving the tall mechanic a nod of confirmation. Liter then carefully passed over the internal core to Centi, who then inserted the core into the animatronic's endoskeleton. She then attached and rerouted the wiring to the core, which caused a small jolt of electricity to spark out of the chest cavity, though fortunately did not short circuit.
"Alright, the voltage looks stable, and the CPU shows no signs of fatigue or lag." Exia said to the Mighty Tools members. "We should be able to activate the CPU's processor and allow the AI to awaken."
"Shouldn't we wait for Greenhorn to get back before switching this behemoth on?" Liter questioned.
"We could just text him that we turned it on, plus we still also have to run the physical diagnostics to see if his motor skills are functioning." Exia suggested.
"Good thinking." Centi said before taking out her phone and sending a message through BlaBla.
Exia then activated the animatronic's CPU by pressing Enter after she typed in a few more lines of code. The whirring of the internal fan on her laptop began to become more audible as the program began to run. At the same time, the mechanical bear showed signs of powering up, its eyes began to glow once more along with the core and other internal parts while a faint hum was emanating from it. The sound of the inner mechanisms moving and churning could be heard as power and energy started to surge through the metallic chase of the ursine themed robot.
100 Years Ago...
The mechanical bear had moved into the alleyway, then was followed by a pair of smaller footsteps. They belonged to a young boy with brown messy hair and amber coloured eyes, and wore a blue polo shirt with white stripes, brown shorts and white sneakers with blue and red patterns. After the boy entered the alleyway with the animatronic bear, they checked each side before sitting down on the pavement.
"...My friends....the Pizzaplex..." The mechanical bear spoke in a solemn tone.
"I....I'm sorry, Freddy...." The boy spoke hesitantly to the animatronic, who he called Freddy. "Were we followed...does anyone know we're here?"
"We should be safe, Gregory...I don't see anyone in pursuit...but we shouldn't stay here for long..." Freddy replied to the boy, now called Gregory, who let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad to see that you're safe, Superstar..."
"...What was that thing...?" Gregory asked the animatronic bear. "He looked like that rabbit you were friends with...Bonnie, right? He looked like him...but...wrong..."
"I...I don't know, Gregory...but all I know is that he was the reason why my friends changed..." Freddy replied to Gregory before letting out a sigh. "...He should be gone...at least I hope so...but..."
"But Vanny's still out there, isn't she?"
Freddy then simply nodded at the young man's direct question.
"Even if that creature is gone, Vanny is alive and doing his bidding...I don't know if I will be able to protect you from her...especially if she can control me like her master did to my friends..."
"If she does come after us, we'll figure out a way to stop her...even if it comes to-" Gregory said before hesitating to speak once more. "...Look, point is we should keep moving, my guess is she'll try and track us through your CPU...we'll need to fix that once we find a computer and an IT store..."
"Very well, Gregory...I will follow your lead..." Freddy said, giving the boy a smile.
-ERROR-
"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, YOU LITTLE INGRATE! YOU HEAR ME?!"
-ERROR-
"You heard the little man! He wants to get even closer! Hahaha!"
"GREGORY?!?"
The sudden and abrupt shouting from the animatronic caused Liter, Centi and Exia to jump back in surprise, almost tempted to draw their weapons before realizing the situation they were currently in. The fan from Exia's laptop was becoming louder while small currents of electricity radiated from where the cables had been plugged into the animatronic. Exia then quickly unplugged the cables on her laptop as the screen was glitching out with several lines of red text appearing in the program. However, the laptop wasn't responding to Exia's inputs as she tried to shut down the program despite severing the connection with the mechanical bear.
"Great, there better not have been any viruses in that thing..." Exia said in annoyance.
The animatronic bear slowly lifted its head and torso up, and began turning its head, scanning the room via its HUD and shining beams of light from its eyes as it did so.
"Where...where am I...?" The animatronic spoke in a deep and masculine voice.
"Uh...I think it's awake..." Centi said nervously.
"Yeah, we have eyes too, ya know." Liter said while rolling her eyes as she approached the mechanical bear. "Hey, easy there, big fella..."
The animatronic quickly turned its head towards Liter, before then noticing both Centi and Exia were also present.
"Who are you...?" The robot asked with both curiosity and confusion.
"The name's Liter, head and squad leader of Mighty Tools." The old Nikke replied with a smile before patting Volt. "And this cute little thing is Volt, my canine companion."
"You appear to be a child..." The animatronic bear spoke before he shined beams of light from his eyes once more, scanning Liter and discovering something peculiar. "...You are...like me...a machine...no...there is a brain inside your head...one of human origin..."
"We're Nikkes." Centi said, chiming in as she smiled at the mechanical bear. "Hiya, Centi's my name, future Queen of Architecture and member of Mighty Tools!"
"I am Freddy Fazbear, or more specifically I am a Freddy Fazbear of the Glamrock line of Fazbear Animatronics." The animatronic spoke, confirming his name much to the surprise of the three women.
'So he is connected to Fazbear Entertainment then...' Liter thought, keeping a mental note of that information.
"You said that the three of you are what is called a 'Nikke'. What exactly is that if I may ask? My scanners detect both mechanical and organic traits within you, so I presume that you are meant to be some sort of cybernetic organism, or cyborg as modern culture calls them..." Freddy asked.
"You're on the money, at least technically." Exia replied as she took out her handheld console and started to play it. "Nikkes are female living weapons created by the Ark to protect it and its people from Raptures. Most of our body is artificial, but we possess a human brain from when we used to be human."
"That's Exia by the way, she's good with computers and hacking but obsessed with video games." Liter explained to the Glamrock animatronic.
"So they turn human females into cyborgs? I would not believe it if my scanners did not tell me so." Freddy said as he began to slowly get back on his metallic feet and lifted himself off the work bench.
"Woah, slow down, big guy, you've just been brought back from being without power for nearly a month." Centi said, getting close to Freddy as she checked his wiring and plating.
"I've been powered down for a month?! Oh, this is terrible! If I've been asleep for that long, then what happened to Gregory?"
"Gregory? That was the name you shouted when you first woke up. Is he a friend of yours?" Liter asked.
"Yes, and it is imperative that I find him and make sure that he's safe." Freddy replied, to which Liter, Centi and even Exia looked at each other awkwardly which didn't go unnoticed by the animatronic. "...Is something wrong?"
"You're gonna want to sit down for this, big fella..." Liter said in a solemn tone as she began to tell Freddy the horrible truth.
Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex, The Ark, 218X
Rupee, Commander Isageum, and the Counters were now sitting in one of the several seating booths on the second floor of the Atrium outlooking the performance stage of the pizzeria. Neon had won a small plushie of Ripperdoc Bonnie out of the claw machine on the first floor arcade though the other four, unfortunately, came out empty-handed.
"Well that was exciting wasn't it, my dear Lupins?" Rupee said into her camera. "But now it's time for each of us to rank which of the attractions were the best! Starting with you, Sweetie! Which one did you like the most?"
"Oh! Um...I'd say that Foxy's Getaway was my personal favorite." Commander Isageum replied. "The karts felt really fun to drive."
"Good choice, Sweetie~!" Rupee said before turning to Neon. "What about you, Neon?"
"My favorite was Freddy's Firefight, that laser tag arena was awesome!" Neon said eagerly. "Got to show off my firepower and rain it down upon my enemies in glorious battle!"
"Of course you'd take a simple laser tag game and speak about it like it's the Battle of Helm's Deep." Anis said, rolling her eyes.
"I didn't know you read Lord of the Rings..." The Commander said in surprise.
"Hey, I read books, but it's not like I advertise that fact to everyone." Anis said.
"We're getting off-topic." Rapi reminded the group.
"Anis, what was your favorite attraction~?" Rupee asked the Counters member.
"Hard to say, but what I do know is that the dessert here is surprisingly good." Anis answered.
"Oh right, Chica's Dessert Server! They had quite the selection of delicious treats, I, for one, loved the cinnamon and apple pie!" Rupee said.
"Their root beer float was well made. It wasn't too sweet nor was it too bitter." Anis said.
"And what about you, Rapi, what was your favorite attraction~?" Rupee asked the more stoic and militant member of Counters.
"I...I'm not so sure." Rapi answered.
"Rapi isn't usually someone who has a lot of hobbies, that I know of, it's not like she tells everyone about her personal life." Anis said awkwardly while adjusting her hat.
"It's not that I didn't enjoy anything, it's just not appealing enough to me personally to be fixated on either one of them. Overall, the attractions serve their purpose: entertaining children." Rapi said in a matter-of–fact way.
"Well, there you have it, my lovely Lupins!" Rupee said excitedly. "What was your favorite attraction? Comment in the chat or after the stream later to submit your answer, and we'll see which ones get the most votes~!"
"So what now since we've done everything?" Neon asked while looking at the plushie.
"There's actually one more thing before we're done for today!" Rupee replied before looking back into the camera. "I've actually gotten word that in the next few minutes or so, the owner of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex and the CEO of Fazbear Entertainment himself will appear at the Atrium to make an announcement!"
"Wait, you're serious?! The CEO himself is coming here?" The Commander exclaimed. "I mean I was hoping to talk to someone from Fazbear Entertainment, but the big boss himself?"
"That reminds me, shouldn't we check on Liter and Centi in regard to our new robot friend?" Anis asked.
"I'll go ahead and check right now." The Commander said, pulling out his phone and entering his password.
Mighty Tools - BlaBla Chat Room
Boss/Greenhorn: Hello?
Centi: Hey Boss, good news!
Centi: We were able to activate the animatronic!
Boss/Greenhorn: You did? That's great to hear!
Liter: Exia helped, but we did our best to replace the interior parts and plating. The core we gave this big guy should allow him to run for months before needing to recharge.
Boss/Greenhorn: Cool, anything else?
Liter: There's more, but it would probably be better if we discuss it in person when you return to the Outpost.
Boss/Greenhorn: Understood.
Boss/Greenhorn: We'll see you soon.
— END —
"They said that they were able to get the animatronic bear we found up and running from the sounds of it." Commander Isageum said as he looked back up from his phone.
"That's good to hear, did they figure out if it was one of Fazbear's animatronics?" Anis asked the Commander.
Before Isageum could reply, the Pizzaplex's sound system started to play music akin to 80s techno, ushering in an announcement done by a generic male voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we at Fazbear Entertainment thank you all for visiting Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex! Please make your way to the main stage in the Atrium to hear a few words from our one and only CEO!"
"Well, guess that's our queue~!" Rupee said before looking at her phone's camera lens. "Well, my lovely Lupins, time to finish this stream off with an exclusive look at Fazbear Entertainment's very own CEO!"
"Oh yay, yet another rich, money-grubbing corporate slob." Anis said in a sarcastically cheerful tone, thinking of a certain diminutive and insufferable Missilis CEO.
"Ingrid and Mustang aren't like that though." Neon said, holding up her hand with her index finger raised.
"Yeah, one's a short-tempered crone and the other is a sparkly eccentric weirdo." Anis said bluntly.
"Anis." Rapi said while giving her a stern gaze.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop." Anis said before letting out a huff.
"Let's not waste any more time, we should head to the stage." The Commander said, to which Counters and Rupee then headed downstairs to the ground floor and over to the Pizzaplex's main stage.
A large enough crowd had already surrounded the stage, with patrons young and old awaiting to see the CEO in person. The Commander, Counters and Rupee were able to find a decent spot in the crowd, though this drew in some attention, especially with the livestreaming shopaholic in their group.
"Of course, she's a famous streamer after all, it would make sense for some of her fans to be amongst the crowd." Gareth said as she watched Rupee communicate with her fans, who either asked for an autograph or a photo.
"It must be fun being an influencer." Neon said with a cheery tone.
"If by fun you mean tedious, then yeah, sure." Anis said with a sigh.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please give a hand to the Fazbear Crew!" The same announcer from before said through the sound system as cyberpunk themed music began to play and the lighting changed to neon green and purple.
On the main stage there were four robotic figures, each obscured by the light with their silhouettes visible. The Commander, Counters and Rupee looked to the stage like the rest of the crowd as the announcer began to speak once more.
"He's one of the Ark's most talented cyberware physicians, able to augment and upgrade his clients with whatever implants and enhancements a hired gun or law enforcer needs. Give it up for Ripperdoc Bonnie!"
The crowd cheered as a spotlight shined on one of the animatronics, revealing Ripperdoc Bonnie. He was a blue rabbit like previous Bonnie models and had a more average build, but he wore an undershirt and slacks with a doctor's apron alongside a futuristic visor and a special glove with finger utensils and tools for applying cyberware. Ripperdoc Bonnie stepped forward and took a polite bow to the crowd.
"Next up, she's a master of cyberspace, queen of hacking and exploiting loopholes within the Ark's network. Low and behold, because Netrunner Chica is in the house!"
Another spotlight lit up over Netrunner Chica. She was a slimmer and more feminine model like the Toy and Glamrock lines of her series, possessing a blend of both white and yellow for her 'feathers' and had pink and green glowing paths around her body. She wore a bodysuit that had cables jacked into the back of her head and spine while also wearing a VR headset that flipped up to show off her eyes. Netrunner Chica did a small sprint around the stage before stopping and striking a crouched pose.
"Left on the brink of death from a firefight with his old adversary, this veteran criminal agreed to an expensive cybernetic procedure courtesy of Missilis. He's the one, the only Full-Borg Foxy!"
The spotlight then shined on the fox-themed animatronic. Full-Borg Foxy had his 'organic' fox head, but his body was that of a tall and heavily armoured cyborg killing machine with a laser hook and a shoulder-mounted cannon for weapons. His eyepatch was high-tech and had a laser pointer attached to it. Full-Borg Foxy let out a digitized maniacal laugh before pointing his hooked arm out forward while aiming his cannon.
"And finally, the cold and hardened hero of the Pizzaplex, Full-Borg Foxy's arch-nemesis and one of the Ark's finest! Please everyone give him a round of applause, Neo-Detective Freddy Fazbear!"
The spotlight lit up the rest of the stage and Neo-Detective Freddy was on full display. He was brown and had a muscular build similar to his Glamrock model, though he wore a dark long coat with blue and orange glowing pathways, a pair of futuristic shades, a set of body armour alongside armoured boots and a utility belt with his sidearm and other gadgets attached to it. Neo-Detective Freddy gave the crowd a salute before pulling out his sidearm and twirling it like a cowboy in a Western movie.
"Commander." Rapi said to Isageum. "Doesn't the last one-"
"Resemble the animatronic we found? Yeah, he does." The Commander replied with a nod.
"Still doesn't explain how one of Fazbear's robots from before the First Invasion ended up in the Outpost." Anis commented.
"Greetings, citizens of the Ark!" Neo-Detective Freddy spoke in a digital yet charismatic tone, causing the crowd to cheer and scream in response. "I hope everyone is having a great day here at the Pizzaplex, and I hope all of you have been following the rules, otherwise I might have to arrest you or ask you to leave the premises."
"Don't be going and arresting people already, hot shot." Netrunner Chica said to her co-star with a feminine and digitized voice. "If anything, the only one here who needs arresting is this cyborg thug over here."
"Oi, I heard that, lass!" Full-Borg Foxy exclaimed in a menacing tone. "I suggest ye be sticking to netrunning less ya want my hook plunged into yer skull!"
"Easy there, fella, there are kids in the audience." Ripperdoc Bonnie said to the cyborg criminal. "I don't want to be performing surgery on someone during the opening week of the Pizzaplex."
The crowd laughed and/or cringed at the animatronics' performances. It was clearly meant to be aimed towards children, though clearly would give a few people a chuckle or amusement.
"Well, if anything, it's charming." Rupee commented as she kept streaming the performance. "Tell us in the comments how you feel about the animatronics' designs and performance."
Suddenly, what sounded like a ringtone began to play as the crowd looked around while the animatronics on stage stopped talking.
"Ugh, what in the Ark is that sound?" Full-Borg Foxy said with annoyance.
"Oh wait, that's my implant ringing." Neo-Detective Freddy as he pressed the side of his head and held onto it, like a person speaking through an earpiece. "Hello? Detective Fazbear speaking...yes?...uh huh...oh my apologies, sir, I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon!"
"Who's calling you, Freddy?" Ripperdoc Bonnie asked curiously.
"Want me to hack into his call and broadcast it for the rest of the Pizzaplex to hear?" Netrunner Chica asked with a devious tone.
"And here we thought you were done hacking officers' phone calls." Ripperdoc Bonnie said, getting a laugh out of a few of the audience members.
"Alright, we'll see you soon, sir." Neo-Detective Freddy said before hanging up his call. "Everyone, I've just received a call from our boss!"
"Wait, you don't mean..." Full-Borg Foxy said in surprise.
"The CEO of Fazbear Entertainment is coming here? Now?" Netrunner Chica asked in surprise.
"That's right, Chica, he'll be here very soon, and so it's imperative that we be on our best behaviour...looking at you, Foxy." Neo-Detective Freddy said, turning to Full-Borg Foxy's direction.
"Shut yer trap, ya pencil-pushing coppa! Still, dealing with the boss is better than dealing with the CEO of Missilis, am I right, fellas?" Full-Borg Foxy said with a laugh.
"I thought part of the deal you made with Missilis when they gave you that body said you couldn't badmouth their higher ups." Netrunner Chica said with a smirk.
"In case yer forgot, I'm a criminal, I don't make deals, I break them." Full-Borg Foxy said defiantly.
"Hahaha, take that Syuen." Anis said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, that was pretty funny." Neon said smiling.
Just then, something began to rise out of the stage behind the animatronics, to which the four of them turned around. What looked like an elevator had appeared, causing the crowd to look in anticipation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages." Neo-Detective Freddy said to the audience. "I want you to meet the man behind everything you see here today, the innovative and charismatic owner of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex! Put your hands together for the CEO of Fazbear Entertainment!"
The elevator door opened as the crowd clapped and cheered and smoke enveloped parts of the stage. A male silhouette could be seen in the smoke before stepping out of it and revealing the CEO of Fazbear Entertainment. He was a middle-aged man with a light skin complexion, grayish blue eyes, and a gray/dark brown combed side-parted hair, mustache and goatee. He wore a pair of golden vintage aviator glasses and a purple suit, complete with a Madras-patterned yellow dress shirt, a purple tie and a pair of black shoes.
"Hello everybody!" The man greeted with a smile. "Welcome to my Pizzaplex, people of the Ark, I'm Steve Raglan, CEO of Fazbear Entertainment and owner of this fine establishment!"
To Be Continued...
Did you enjoy the chapter? If so, please favourite and follow the story and give me your feedback!
NIKKE Side:
So first things first, Rupee being the tagalong companion was because she's a businesswoman who would be privy to a business like Fazbear being present in the Ark and because she is a livestreamer and would no doubt go to a brand new restaurant or attraction for views and entertainment.
We also decided to have Drake make a cameo due to her being both of one of our favorite Nikkes. We initially thought of having Laplace or Maxwell or both there too, but we decided to cut things short given that NIKKE's pacing tends to focus more on the characters than the actions they take unless it's focused on. Not to worry though, more Nikkes will be appearing and helping along the way.
Exia was included because I believe she would be better at diagnosing an A.I. than Mighty Tools. It's not to say they don't know how to work a computer, they're just not IT specialists or hackers like Exia is.
FNAF Side:
So yes, we left on that cliffhanger. What does that mean? Well, we'll let you speculate for now, but just know that whatever you guess is probably the answer or close to it. If you've seen the film, then you'll already know what's happening.
Also Glamrock Freddy is now awake and meeting the Nikkes. The flashback takes place after the secret ending of Security Breach, though you might have noticed a few bits of dialogue. Read into it if you like, and you might discover a secret about Freddy.
Anyway, another topic we should look at is the new Pizzaplex. It makes sense to use a pizzeria in a FNAF crossover, though I decided to try and make it feel more like a restaurant or mall from this era of humanity, as well as one that references cyberpunk, as NIKKE is technically within the cyberpunk genre, giving its themes, use of cyborgs and dystopian future.
Freddy for example is a Cyberpunk themed detective inspired by the archetypical Cyberpunk protagonist, kind of like V from Cyberpunk 2077 or Rick Deckard from Blade Runner.
Bonnie is a Ripperdoc from the Cyberpunk tabletop game series who are basically doctors and surgeons who give people cybernetics and implants.
Chica is a Netrunner, who are hackers from the Cyberpunk series that jack into the network and fight against A.I.s and viruses in the remnants of the old internet.
Foxy, as his name might suggest, was inspired by Adam Smasher here, having a similar cyborg body and temperament as the Night City Boogeyman himself.
Anyway, that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
UltimateDemonBeast65 and Som3bodE signing off!