Chapter 2 available here
Unlike the other animatronics, Chica knew where Freddy spent most of his nights in the Pizzaplex. She was the only animatronic Freddy bothered to reveal his identity as Michael Afton to. It was a secret she guarded closely.
This Saturday night, Freddy was below the building, interrogating the one who corrupted Fazbear Entertainment for the past four decades. As usual, Bonnie was confined to the boundaries of Bonnie Bowl, Roxy spent the night wandering the Upper Floors, and Monty was on the catwalks over Monty Golf. However, six a.m. came and went, and only Freddy made himself known to the bird animatronic by morning. The bear animatronic made his way back to Rockstar Row, looking rather frustrated.
"Freddy? There you are! It's been a long night just hanging out by myself," Chica exclaimed out of relief.
"By yourself? Where are the others?" Freddy asked curiously.
"Well, Bonnie and Monty are obviously in their places. Bonnie cannot leave, and Monty just chooses NOT to," Chica said in an annoyed tone.
"Yes, those animatronics are rather troubled. Then again, in some ways, ALL of us are..." Freddy sighed.
In the black of the animatronic's blue eyes, tiny white lights could be seen shining. This was a common sign, however one difficult to observe, that an animatronic was possessed. Shadows formed around Freddy's eyes, which indicated his exhaustion.
"I haven't been able to do much, as you can see. Uh, how are things with your father?" Chica asked with a tone of sympathy.
Freddy let out a sigh of frustration, one that he appeared to have been holding back for quite some time.
"Terrible, as usual. But, Chica, there's one thing I've been, uh, noticing..." Freddy said.
The chicken animatronic raised a single eyebrow, waiting for an explanation from her bear counterpart.
"It's about me. Yesterday, there was this little kid named Trent that came by. He didn't ask for a photo or an autograph, or ANYTHING. He just asked me for my favorite color. I told him it was orange, and he looked disappointed, until I explained why..." Freddy explained, then drifting off into the distance.
"I remember him! He did seem disappointed at my answer too. I told him pink, since it was my signature color? Why did he like YOUR answer?" Chica questioned.
"I told him orange is the color of fire, of hope. Chica, when I was still a human being, I WORKED at the Pizzeria before it became the Ruins below this place. It was a trap that my boss, Henry, who is William's old friend, set to call all existing possessed animatronics. Once they were all there, the friend and I burned it to the ground. Both of us died there. I thought there was going to be a new beginning when only the ashes were left, but I was WRONG," Freddy explained sadly.
"Afton came back, didn't he?" Chica asked.
"Yes, he did. And here he is now. Anyways, the boy, he KNEW we are animatronics. And I'm starting to think he knows my true nature... do I act differently from the other animatronics?" Freddy asked.
"Yes, you do, Freddy. Isn't it obvious?!" Chica demanded, sounding almost irritated.
"What?!" Freddy said in an alarmed tone.
"Freddy, let's take a look at all the animatronics here. Monty is an angry, prideful MONSTER who, unlike us, WILLINGLY murdered children, Roxy, although she's my friend, is hotheaded and arrogant, Bonnie, while he's okay, isn't anywhere near your level, and I'm a gluttonous animatronic! You, Freddy Fazbear, are a true guardian, the father that Gregory never had, loving, careful, wise, intelligent, and experienced. You ARE different from us, and it shows!" Chica exclaimed.
Freddy's ears lowered and his eyes narrowed. Guilt and embarrassment clouded the bear animatronic as he re-evaluated himself. He had all these good qualities, and didn't even recognize them HIMSELF.
"Oh... I suppose you are right. I can't believe I didn't notice myself. I apologize, Chica..." Freddy said meekly.
"Apologize? Freddy, you didn't even do anything wrong. It's just about time someone knocked some sense into you," Chica said with a smile.
"Well, thank you, Chica. You have no idea how much I appreciate you. Now, we should probably get ready for the day. It's Sunday, after all!" Freddy said brightly.
"People don't typically come over to the Pizzaplex on a Sunday morning, let alone six in the morning of ANY day. We have time! But we should go find Roxy and Monty," Chica replied.
However, before any of that could happen, the daytime guard found the two animatronics speaking in Rockstar Row. He ran over to the two, and Freddy detected from the way he ran that something was seriously wrong.
"Freddy! Chica!" the guard called out as he ran. When he made it to the two animatronics, he began to breathe heavily.
"Officer Staggs! Is there a problem?" Freddy asked urgently.
"We're closed for the day, and until further notice. Roxy's been destroyed!"
~~~
The scent drew Plushtrap further and further into the forest. The putrid, yet addicting smell of rotting flesh, blood, and rusted metal paved a path through the trees at night. Plushtrap only remembered two things Nightmare told him: "sabotage" and "you WILL find him."
"Oh BOY, the smell is getting stronger..." Plushtrap cackled. If he got closer to finding William Afton, then it would mean his mission would have a higher chance of success.
Eventually, he reached the back of a large building. This is where the scent was the strongest it had been all night. Plushtrap KNEW that this was the one place he should look.
"Well, if only I found a way to get IN the building," the doll growled impatiently.
There were a set of garage doors and a normal door on the back of the building, but they were locked. However, he did find a metal stairwell that led to the roof of the building.
"Well, what's this?" Plushtrap said with glee. He climbed up the metal stairs with ease, and made it to the rooftop. Plushtrap looked off the edge of the roof and gulped from nervousness. The doll had to be at least a hundred feet in the air.
There was the exit of a nearby ventilation shaft nearby, which was one possible entry point for the tiny animatronic. Without hesitation, he jumped into the small chamber, falling a short distance before landing on metal tile.
"That was fun! Oh well, I should keep going," Plushtrap said to himself.
He crawled a long time through the ventilation shafts, the pathway being illuminated by orange lights and formed by the almost artificial stench of William Afton. Finally, Plushtrap reached the end of a ventilation shaft. He ended up in a strange hallway with white walls and a black carpet for a floor.
"This is MUCH more well built than the House..." Plushtrap remarked. He crept through a square hall, around a nearby security office, still searching for Afton. The scent was strong, but Plushtrap could tell he was still a long distance away.
Plushtrap walked out of the room via an orange door and found himself in a room with a sign in the middle called "Prize Counter." However, the tiny doll discovered he was not alone.
There was a gray, wolf-themed animatronic with white hair and a green strand. She wore a red motorbike outfit and had glowing, yellow eyes.
"Oh... Nightmare wants me to destroy her! It is time for her to die!" Plushtrap growled hungrily.
He crept around a few shelves, trying to find the perfect angle of attack. The wolf animatronic, however, detected something was off.
"Huh? What's that smell?" the wolf demanded. She began to sniff the air, looking for what she didn't know was Plushtrap.
"They can smell?!" Plushtrap whispered in awe.
"I heard that. Who's there?!" the wolf animatronic called out.
The tiny doll's heart began to race at record speeds. He was at a huge risk of being discovered. If the wolf animatronic DID find Plushtrap, then it would be over.
But then, he realized it would be better if she DID notice her.
"Over here!" Plushtrap whispered. Then, he let out an ungodly giggle, hoping to catch the attention of a startled wolf animatronic.
The wolf turned around and peeked behind the shelf Plushtrap was standing against. She then noticed the small, green rabbit, staring back at her with a toothy smile.
"Found me!" Plushtrap giggled.
"What are you doing here?" the wolf demanded.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to kill you!" Plushtrap exclaimed. Then, with a roar, the tiny animatronic launched himself into the larger animatronic's head.
"Ah! Get off me!" the wolf yelled. She stumbled back as Plushtrap dug his claws into her face, latching himself on and preparing to remove a piece of the animatronic.
The wolf clawed at Plushtrap endlessly, hoping to remove the parasite from her face. The doll was resilient and ended up falling to the ground, with his target's face caught in his hands.
"What happened?! Where am I?! I CAN'T SEE!" the wolf cried with pain. Plushtrap looked at the face in his hands and discovered he removed the animatronic's eyes as well.
"This is PERFECT. Now, I am going to kill you!" Plushtrap laughed. Then, he once again latched himself to the wolf, preparing to take her apart limb by limb.
Not long after, Plushtrap left the wolf animatronic behind in a pile of scrap and rubble. Wandering through the large facility Plushtrap found himself in, he continued on the one mission he had- find William Afton.
~~~
The Prize Counter was a complete and total mess. Shelves were knocked over, various items and trinkets were spread across the floor, and the disassembled form of Roxy was lying on the carpets, sparks and ash tainting the air.
Freddy, Chica, and the day guard, Officer Staggs, were studying the scene before them. Clearly, something was terribly wrong. Potential thoughts and ideas of how Roxy could have died lingered through each of their minds, each less likely than the last. After a few hours of calling management, scanning the cameras, surveying the Prize Counter, and cleaning up, Officer Staggs finally gave up. Back at the Rockstar Row Security Office, he turned to the four animatronics, who were gathered for this day.
"Okay, we're closed for the day, but first thing Monday, we'll be back open. I don't know what happened!" the day guard sighed.
"Really? Are you, sure it's a good idea?" Freddy questioned.
"I'm not gonna lie, I don't. Something's wrong, I can feel it. But according to MANAGEMENT, if you can't see it, hear it, or feel it, it doesn't exist!" Officer Staggs exclaimed.
"They cannot see? Is there not footage of Roxy's destruction?!" Freddy asked.
"There is, but if anything attacked Roxy, it's COMPLETELY invisible. The footage just shows Roxy staggering around, clawing at her own face and limbs. I don't think any animatronic had a malfunction this bad before! I'm lost for words... you should go, there's nothing else to discuss," Staggs replied, dismissing the four animatronics.
Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Monty all walked out of the room, descending down the stairs back to Rockstar Row. Gathering outside of Freddy's Green room, the animatronics were prepared to discuss the destruction of their friend further.
"Something is not right. From what Officer Staggs described, it does not seem to me Roxy's destruction was a malfunction," Freddy said, darkly, to the other animatronics.
All three of the animatronics nodded their heads in agreement. They all knew there was no programming that enabled an animatronic to knowingly self-destruct.
"We aren't even capable of dismantling ourselves, let alone to the extent that leads to the state Roxy is in now," Chica added.
"But that's the thing- if Roxy didn't self-destruct, then what DID? I mean, unless Monty's getting up to his old shenanigans..." Bonnie accused, glancing angrily at the gator animatronic. Monty met Bonnie with a glare with an equal amount of scorn.
"I didn't destroy Roxy! I already got what I wanted from YOU, and besides, this William Afton guy needed your parts! What use is it continuing?" Monty asked.
"As much as I don't appreciate Monty's answer, I don't believe HE is the culprit," Freddy said, shooting Monty a disapproving glance.
"And besides, that doesn't explain Roxy's attacker, if there IS one, being invisible to the cameras! Even Vanny was never capable of doing that," Chica pointed out.
"All I know is, this BETTER not be that thing you keep in your basement," Monty growled, referring to William Afton.
Although all the other animatronics knew where Afton was at, only Chica knew of the true identity of Freddy, and how he and Afton were truly related. Chica and Bonnie also turned their heads at the bear animatronic, looking for an answer.
"It's not HIM. The last time I EVER saw him, he was chained against a wall. And I doubt after all that trouble Afton went through to reach a physical form, he would ever opt to return to the digital world. Whatever attacked Roxy was an outside, physical being," Freddy explained.
"You BETTER hope you're right. If you ain't? You can kiss goodbye to that boy of yours..." Monty threatened.
Something inside Freddy snapped. The moment he heard Monty threaten Gregory, he lost his temper. Freddy's vision turned to red as he felt his very soul churn inside of him. Without hesitation, Freddy grabbed his two, purple and green, clawed hands, and lunged at Monty, spreading his arms out and pinning the gator to the wall.
Monty quivered in fear as Freddy slammed him against the wall, giving him a perfect lineup into his eyes. Freddy's blue eyes were masked up by a shadow, which also covered his entire face north of his nose. However, Monty could detect, where each eye was, one white light, glowing and staring specifically into the gator's soul.
"If you lay a SINGLE finger on Gregory, I will kill you," Freddy whispered.
Behind Freddy's robotic voice generated by his voicebox, Monty swore he heard a whisper, as if someone was behind the animatronic he knew as Freddy.
"Okay, ALRIGHT. I'M SORRY. LET ME GO!" Monty screamed with utter horror.
Freddy pulled Monty off the wall and shoved him in the other direction, clearly not trying to be careful. As Monty recovered and stood up straight, he looked at Freddy in his eyes.
"What... ARE you?! This ain't right! I ain't ever seen this in an animatronic's programming!" Monty panted.
"That is for me to know and for you to find out. Now, GO," Freddy warned.
No further instruction was needed for the gator animatronic, as he immediately took off, likely headed for Monty Golf, where he spent most of his time.
Chica and Bonnie were both in absolute shock. Neither have ever seen Monty afraid before, let alone HORRIFIED.
"Well, THAT was something..." Bonnie said.
"I am not angered easily, Bonnie, but I will NOT let anyone threaten Gregory, or any child, for that matter," Freddy declared.
"Well, we need that energy for tomorrow! If there's something dangerous here, you'd be best for protecting anyone there!" Bonnie replied. Freddy gave a lukewarm smile to his hare companion.
"I'll be off now. I've seen enough for today," Bonnie said after a while. Leaving Freddy and Chica alone, the hare animatronic left Rockstar Row, headed instead for Bonnie Bowl.
"Freddy, your father may know what's going on. Try checking on him?" Chica suggested.
"Perhaps I will. Please make sure Monty and Bonnie don't kill each other; I'll likely be gone for a while!" Freddy asked.
Soon, Freddy would discover that Chica was right- William Afton knew exactly what was going on.
