Chapter Text
Carlos narrowed his eyes, reaching his tools forward, shifting a couple wires around. If the ground wire was attached to the piston…then…
He quickly snipped it out, wiping his forehead. This was much more careful work than he was used to!
In front of him, Glamrock Bonnie was bent over, his back open so that Carlos could work. A light had been wheeled over, shining over the technician so that he could work. Meanwhile, Bonnie had been temporarily deactivated, his battery disconnected, to avoid any potential threats to Carlos’s safety.
Poking his tongue out from between his front teeth in focus, the technician did one final check over of the open back of the animatronic. All the wires seemed to be correctly connected to the endoskeleton. The charge was more than high enough for him to finish the day out, and the few stains Carlos saw as he closed the back plate were quickly wiped away with a thumb and some elbow grease.
Carlos smiled, then walked around to Bonnie’s front. The rabbit’s eyes were outside the body, sitting on a toolbench nearby, and the mouth was open.
This was his favorite part.
Carlos reached out to Bonnie’s arms, both of which had the plating popped open. He quickly took each side of the plating on the right arm and pressed it in, before grabbing a square-shaped tool and sealing it up. Then, he did the same with the other arm.
And finally, he reached up to the open mouth and hit the red button inside. After a moment, the animatronic began to shift-he went into a more active position as the plated head moved back into position over the endoskeleton.
Once it finished, Carlos grabbed the two eyes on the toolbench and, checking to make sure he was positioning them right, pressed each one in until he heard a faint click.
Suddenly, he heard a faint humming sound as the eyes lit up, starting to glow again as Bonnie powered up, his computers and personality chip turning back on. He was frozen for a moment while booting up, before blinking and looking at Carlos again, then looking at his back.
“Oh,” he murmured sheepishly. “It…it happened again, didn’t it?”
“Yep,” Carlos sighed, nodding his head. “Maybe we should let the Parts and Service guys take a look, see what’s wrong-”
“Why would I, when I’ve got you?!” Bonnie replied with a chuckle, looking back.
Carlos rolled his eyes. “Because I might get tired of covering for you.”
“No you won’t!” Bonnie replied in a teasing tone, interlocking his fingers and moving up to him. “Because you looove me, don’t you?”
“Just because you’re my favorite doesn’t mean I’ll cover for you forever. You might need some real help,” Carlos huffed, folding his arms. “But fine, I won’t tell them this time.”
“Thank you!” Bonnie replied in the same teasing tone, but it was laced with genuine gratitude.
Carlos sighed, walking over to the door. They were in a small back closet of Bonnie Bowl, behind Bonnie’s dressing room, designated for any quick fixing Bonnie might need throughout the day.
“You really should let Parts and Service take a look at you,” Carlos muttered as he stepped through the open door. On the other side was the back of the Alley, where the automated system moved the bowling balls back down and shifting the pins back into position. “If this keeps happening…well, I won’t be here all the time.”
“I know, I know, you’ve got Cassie to look out for,” Bonnie sighed, nodding as he followed. “But I just…you know how you feel when you have to go through surgery?”
“I had to have my appendix removed when I was eight,” Carlos shrugged.
“Right!” Bonnie nodded, pointing. “Well, it’s like that. Just being out so quickly, and when you wake up, knowing that there were people that opened you up, had a look inside…and there’s a chance, even slightly, that when you go down you might not come up again.”
“You know you’ll always be brought back up, though,” Carlos asked, confused. “The kids love you. They’d never get rid of you.”
“But would it really be ‘me’?” Bonnie asked, gesturing to himself and sighing as they walked past the automated lanes and over to Bonnie’s dressing room. “They could put me on a different endo, create a new personality chip…I just…I really don’t like being so…replaceable. And if I was…nobody would even notice.”
Carlos looked down, then up again. “I would,” he said with a faint smile. “I’d notice.”
Bonnie sighed, looking back at him, but returned the smile. “Thanks.”
“Anyway,” Carlos nodded, lifting up the gate and stepping back into Bonnie’s dressing room. The animatronic’s guitar was titled in a stand nearby, there was a window with lights all around, and a signed poster of Freddy on the wall. Opposite the desk and the mirror was a stand that had a computer on it. “Let’s get this done quickly.”
“Right,” Bonnie sighed, nodding but sounding disappointed as he walked over and sat next to the stand.
“Chin up,” Carlos said comfortingly, opening the drawer on the stand and pulling out a cord. “You can be awake for this. Shouldn’t you like it more?”
“Do you like being reminded of your mortality?” Bonnie replied.
Carlos opened his mouth, then grunted. “Fair enough,” he shrugged. “Tip your head down.”
The rabbit moved, showing the back of his head to the technician, where a small hole could be seen. Carlos quickly pulled the jack on one end of his cord into the hole, then inserted the other side into the computer.
The computer quickly turned on as Bonnie moved back, glancing over. Carlos narrowed his eyes as it pulled up the stats and HUD seen by Bonnie at all times, before cutting away and showing a clearer, more written out explanation.
“Alright…the system logged your failure. Higher ups are gonna hear about it,” Carlos murmured.
“I figured,” Bonnie nodded, a bit disappointed.
Carlos looked at him sympathetically, then sighed and clicked on the report, hitting Delete. After typing in his employee password, the report disappeared.
“You owe me one,” Carlos muttered, not looking at him.
“I think I owe you a lot more than ‘one’,” Bonnie chuckled, glancing at Carlos before looking at the statistics himself.
As Carlos read through the data, making sure there weren't any issues or any indication of something wrong, Bonnie looked around. Most of the text and data was alien to the animatronic-he wasn’t designed to fully understand his own function. But he could understand a few of the buttons and options that the readout gave them.
Most notably, Bonnie’s eyes fell to the green and red buttons on the bottom of the screen, praying Carlos wouldn’t notice.
The green read Show Mode.
And the red read Disconnect.
“Doesn’t look like anything’s wrong, at least not from here,” Carlos muttered, before cutting off as he read the bottom of the screen. Then he looked over at Bonnie, annoyed. “Bonnie?”
The animatronic coughed. “Yeah?”
“Why does this say you’re in Safe Mode?”
“Erm…don’t know, maybe I-”
Carlos groaned, cutting him off. “Seriously? No wonder you’ve been having battery problems! You’re supposed to be in Show Mode 24/7! Safe Mode is only for when Parts and Service are messing with your software!”
“Look, I-” Bonnie tried. “I just…you don’t know what it’s like, okay?! Being hooked into the system it…it feels weird. You can hear all these thoughts that aren’t your own and-and everything is so loud. Being in Safe Mode…I can feel like I’m just me. Like I’m just one thing. And it helps me perform better!”
“Before you shut down in the middle of one!” Carlos retorted, before sighing and rubbing his forehead.
“Well…I know to use my charging station more now…” Bonnie feebly tried to defend.
“It doesn’t matter,” Carlos muttered, stepping over to the desk and grabbing Bonnie’s guitar. “You’ve gotta get back onstage, right now.”
“You wanna come with me? For an encore?” Bonnie asked overdramatically as he took the guitar from Carlos and moved it over his head.
“I don’t think anyone wants to hear me bellow out a song,” Carlos chuckled. “I’ll leave through the employee’s only door by the Alley. Just promise me you’ll use that charging station immediately after every performance.”
“Alright,” Bonnie shrugged, stepping over to the door. “Better get out there…thanks again, Carlos. I mean it.”
Carlos smiled, a bit tired, as his watch started to beep. “Anytime,” he replied, hitting the button on his watch and pulling out a candy sucker from his pocket.
Bonnie co*cked his head. “What’s with the lollipop?”
“Doctor says I’ve got low blood sugar,” Carlos explained, gesturing to the watch, talking through the sucker. “If I don’t keep it up, I’ll start to collapse and will barely be able to move.”
“Huh,” Bonnie chuckled. “Guess we’ve both got a power problem, then.”
“Yet only one of us is doing anything about it,” Carlos replied, arms folded as he raised an eyebrow. Then he pointed to the door. “Charging station, performance. Now.”
The animatronic smiled one last time before stepping out through the door, to the hallway that led to the stage in the diner. Meanwhile, Carlos shook his head and walked back over, past the back of the Alley, to the door that led to the repair closet. Next to it was another door, which he took.
He kept sucking on the candy as he made his way down the nearly blank hallway, before arriving at another door on his right, which placed him right back out at the end of the Alley.
Bonnie Bowl was split into three sections. There was the Alley itself, where a bunch of patrons were playing, trying to knock down as many pins as possible. Carlos walked down the carpeted area, where they would get their bowling shoes.
To his right was the arcade, stacked up with cabinets and games, with a bunch of younger kids darting around, laughing, sliding coins in for some quick entertainment.
For a moment, as Carlos glanced over at the arcade, he swore he saw what looked to be a pair of red eyes and white fur, only for it to dart away.
Carlos blinked, looking, but all he could see was a few more cabinets and the door to the employees only supply closet.
Then the technician shook his head, rolling his eyes and going on his way.
You’re going crazy, old man, he heard in Cassie’s voice.
Carlos reached up and held the end of the candy’s stick as he got into the final section of Bonnie Bowl-the diner. It was styled after the 1950s era, with nostalgic black-and-white photographs, a counter lined with stools, and booths along the opposite side. Right down the middle was the stage, where Bonnie was already performing, his baritone voice singing some Louis Armstrong track.
The technician smiled as the animatronic slid him a wink, continuing his song. Carlos found an empty stool and, sliding around, watched the patrons of the diner for a bit.
Suddenly, he saw movement in his peripheral vision. Carlos blinked as he saw a blur dart into hiding-a small figure with brown hair and a blue shirt.
Carlos smiled. He knew that figure.
“Hey Carlos!” a cheery voice said from behind him. Carlos spun around in his stool, seeing a younger teen with messy brown hair and a bit of scruff on his chin. He was dressed in a white and blue outfit-the uniform for the diner.
“Hey, Ness,” Carlos nodded, sliding over. “I’ll have-”
“Got your usual right here,” Ness replied with a smirk, lifting a plate of medium-rare flank steak and mashed potatoes. “Saw you on shift earlier and figured…”
Carlos sighed in relief, his stomach grumbling. “You figured right,” he nodded, pulling the end of the sucker out of his mouth and tossing it into a nearby trash can as Ness slid the plate out to him, placing a fork and cup of water with it.
“Wait!” Carlos said as Ness started walking away. “Could I also get the…” he quickly scanned the menu next to him. “‘Supreme Breakfast Delight?’”
“Sure,” Ness nodded with a smile, before stepping out and walking away, to put the order in.
Carlos sighed in relief, taking a long sip of water and picking up the fork. He hadn’t gotten much breakfast that morning-Cassie had woken up late and needed help getting ready, by the time that was done he’d had to rush out the door so he wouldn’t miss his shift.
As Carlos started to eat, he blinked a bit. Something felt…strange. He felt like…
He felt like he was being watched.
Carlos blinked, then turned and looked around, slowly panning the diner area again. He could almost hear a ringing building in his ears.
For a moment, he wondered, thinking back to a ghostly girl with black hair-
“Gah!” Carlos suddenly jerked as he saw a familiar blonde woman standing nearby, looking at him with her arms folded. The ringing disappeared in an instant. “Jeez! Don’t scare me like that, Vanessa!”
“Sorry,” Vanessa replied, sounding exhausted as she stepped over. She pulled out the stool next to him, then almost fell down to it with a huff.
Carlos raised an eyebrow as he started to work on the steak. “Long day?”
“It’s only halfway done,” Vanessa replied.
“Ain’t that the truth…”
The two sat in silence for a moment, as Bonnie finished one song and started the next.
“Where’s the kid?” Vanessa eventually asked, looking up and over at him.
“I left Cassie to help Eclipse in the Daycare,” Carlos replied, sipping his water.
“Really?” Vanessa chuckled wryly. “Because last I saw, she was darting over to the Raceway.”
“What?!” Carlos asked, eyes wide. “Oh my-I am so sorry Vanessa, I swear I’ll go-”
“It’s okay,” she replied, holding up a hand and sighing. “I informed Roxy and made sure she was watching out for her. Cassie should be safe-Roxy may be reckless, but she knows not to let anyone get hurt. Unless a sinkhole opens up or something.”
“Alright,” Carlos sighed. “Thanks.”
Vanessa shrugged. “Eh. It wasn’t hard.”
Carlos nodded, tapping his foot as he kept eating, before sighing. “Hey…can I ask you about something personal?”
“I guess so,” Vanessa shrugged, giving him a curious look.
Carlos looked down at his food. “I…how do you know when you’re failing?”
“Huh?” Vanessa asked, confused. “What do you mean? From what I know, your performance reviews are pretty good-”
“I’m not talking about work,” Carlos replied.
“Then what…” Vanessa trailed off. “Oh.”
Carlos looked to the side, awkward. “I just…” he shook his head. “She doesn’t listen to me anymore. I tell her to do something, she either ignores me or only does it later. I tell her to stay somewhere, and she leaves as soon as I’m gone. I just…I don’t know what’s normal, and where I’m at fault for not being there.”
Vanessa just looked at him sympathetically, offering silent support.
“I haven’t been able to spend as much time with her as I’d like. I’m always having to rush away, to work or something else, and…I just don’t know. I know that I feel like I’m failing. So…how do you know when you are?”
Vanessa thought for a moment, carefully choosing her words. “I’m…probably one of the worst people to ask. I obviously don’t have kids, and my father…wasn’t the best guy, so I don’t have a good frame of reference…but if you’re trying to patch things up or get closer with her, then don’t force it. Do something you know that she’ll appreciate. Make the first step. Then just…work from there?”
“What do you think I should do?” Carlos asked.
Vanessa groaned. “I don’t know. Take her out to ice cream or something? Or…skydiving? I…I don’t know anything about kids, you really should ask someone else.”
“Fair enough,” Carlos muttered, looking forward.
Once again, relative silence overtook them, only broken by the bustle of the restaurant, the crashing of pins, Bonnie’s singing, and the distant sounds of the arcade.
“Here you go, Carlos,” Ness said, suddenly walking back over and placing Carlos’s second order next to him. “Oh, hey Vanessa! Do you want anything?”
“Not right now,” Vanessa replied, shaking her head.
“Okay,” Ness nodded awkwardly. “You know…we have pretty similar names. Maybe that means there’s some kind of a connection-”
“Is that a fact?” Vanessa replied, sounding a bit annoyed.
“Well, uh, you know, it’s just a theory…”
“I think they’re asking for you,” Vanessa replied, nodding down the counter to one of the other customers, who was waving at Ness. The server gave her one more awkward glance before quickly walking down.
“Don’t be so mean,” Carlos chuckled. “You know he’s just trying to shoot his shot.”
“Well he’s shooting it into a black hole,” Vanessa replied, rolling her eyes. “Besides, he can use a better pickup line than that.”
“I guess so,” Carlos shrugged.
Vanessa glanced at the plate next to him, confused. “I thought you already ate,” she asked, pointing at the nearly finished potatoes and steak.
Carlos paused, panicking for a split second before he shrugged. “It’s for Cassie.”
“Oh, right,” Vanessa nodded, before standing up and stretching. “Well, I’ve gotta get back to work.”
“Good luck with everything,” Carlos nodded. “And sorry about Cassie, again.”
“It’s fine,” Vanessa sighed. “I won’t tell anyone. But you’d better make sure she doesn’t mess around with anything. Okay?”
“Alright,” Carlos replied.
Vanessa nodded, then turned and strode away, out of the diner and back into the arcade.
Carlos stood, stretching a bit. Technically his job was overseeing all the tech within all of Bonnie Bowl, not just the animatronic himself, so it was probably a good time to check through the premises.
“Uh, Carlos?” Ness asked as he stepped closer. “Are you gonna eat this?”
Carlos glanced back. The server was pointing at the untouched plate of breakfast right where he’d been sitting.
“Take the first plate in for washing, leave the second,” Carlos replied, then turned and walked a bit farther away. Ness blinked, confused, but went along with it.
A few minutes later, when Carlos looked back at the seat, he was just in time to see a familiar young figure with brown hair reach up and grab the plate from the counter, pulling it off before darting back into hiding.
* * *
Carlos cleared his throat as he stepped up to the final Party Garage. After more than a bit of searching, he’d finally found what he was looking for.
This garage was a bit less decorated than the others. Since it was the last in line, it was the least likely to be used for an actual celebration, so the employees used it for storage and a break room more than anything else. Shelves were along the entire room, some empty, some full.
And sure enough, way in the back, sitting against one of the shelves and facing the wall, was Cassie.
Carlos coughed, stepping up to his daughter. The girl was wearing a red shirt and jeans. She had darker skin, like Carlos himself, and refused to look at him as he bent down next to her.
“Hey,” Carlos said awkwardly.
Cassie didn’t reply.
“I…erm,” Carlos coughed. “I know that I’m a bit late…”
Cassie gave a small grunt of affirmation.
“But…please, Cassie, you have to understand, I’m really trying.”
“What does it matter?” Cassie asked, looking back at him. “Why would ‘trying’ matter if you can’t do it?”
Carlos winced. “Yeah…do-do you want to go get some ice cream, maybe? Something like that?”
Cassie just looked at him. “Are you trying to buy my forgiveness?”
“No!” Carlos insisted. “No, I swear…I just thought it would be something fun for us to do…”
Cassie shook her head, exasperated as she shifted, pushing herself off the shelf and walking past her father, back through the garage.
“Cassie, please…I’ve set aside tomorrow for your party! You know I’ll be there!”
Cassie gave him a sarcastic look.
Carlos coughed awkwardly.
“What about letting me see the rest of the Pizzplex?” Cassie asked, twisting around, suddenly excited. “Like Eclipse’s room, or Rockstar Row?! That’d really make it up to me!”
“Cassie,” Carlos replied, placing his hands on his hips. “You know it’s best to stay in supervised areas. Rockstar Row isn’t even open yet-it’s still under construction.”
“Oh please, they’re just letting the paint dry,” Cassie replied, waving her hand dismissively. “You know it would be perfectly safe!”
“I…I can’t let you do that. Not until it’s open, at least,” Carlos sighed, arms wrapped around himself.
Cassie looked down, then glared a bit with the confidence that only ten year olds could have. Without a word, she turned tail and strode away.
“Cassie!” Carlos tried, a bit louder.
She still refused to reply as she walked out of the garage and away.
“Do you still want me to help set up your birthday tomorrow?” Carlos shouted.
Silence. Then, from outside, an awkward “Yes…thank you.”
* * *
Today was the day! Cassie giggled a bit as she darted down the waiting room, wanting to get through it as soon as possible.
It was a bit odd to think that she was finally eleven after so much time spent waiting!
The young girl darted through the final sliding door, into Roxy Raceway. The massive chamber was dedicated to the titular animatronic, with portraits and pictures of her painted on the walls.
Cassie understood. If she was that cool, she’d probably have pictures of herself all over too!
Most of the area was dedicated to the Raceway itself, with go carts still zooming along it. Roxy was down there, in the lead, shouting encouragement to everyone else.
On the left side was the area where a go-kart was selected, as well as the check in area. Cassie quickly skipped down the steps, dashing up to the counter, where an employee was.
They eyed her, smiling a bit, then asked, “Name?”
“Cassie Sanchez!” Cassie replied excitedly.
“Hmmm…Sanchez, Sanchez…” the employee murmured teasingly, tapping their chin as they skimmed the list on the computer. “I’m afraid I don’t see you on the list…”
Cassie raised an eyebrow.
They chuckled. “Not pulling one over on you, huh?” They nodded to the garages. “Your dad’s set up in Party Garage 2.”
“Thank you!” Cassie chirped, before quickly turning and running down. The race was finishing up, with Roxy having won long before anyone else and happily whooping and celebrating as each new person made it across the final line.
Cassie chuckled a bit, before quickly darting into the second Party Garage in the line.
Inside, the entire place had been decorated already. Her dad, Carlos, was doing something in the corner that she couldn’t see. The table had been set out with her favorite kind of pizza, with a few wrapped presents on the shelves in the back.
“Is there the cake, too?” Cassie asked excitedly, stepping in.
Carlos looked back at her, and Cassie jumped. He was wearing a strange looking mask, one that looked like a white rabbit with red eyes.
“Sorry!” he said quickly, reaching around and undoing a strap before pulling off the mask. “This is my technician’s mask. It lets me tap into the mainframe. I just needed to finish a quick task to get everything ready!”
“Whoa,” Cassie muttered, blinking. “Why does it look like that?”
Carlos opened his mouth, then looked down at it, confused.. “I…” he paused. “I…don’t…know. Huh.”
“Anyway,” Cassie muttered. “I was asking about the cake?”
“Oh, it’s in the freezer,” Carlos nodded, over at the freezer on the opposite wall.
“Did you get-”
“Carrot cake, I know,” Carlos chuckled, rolling his eyes, tucking the mask away.
Cassie excitedly sat down on the desk. “Awesome! When is everyone else gonna get here?”
“The invites said the party starts in about five minutes,” Carlos replied, stretching a bit. “So they should be getting here pretty soon!”
Cassie squealed a bit, throwing her feet back and forth.
“Hey hey hey! I heard someone has a birthday today!”
Cassie’s eyes turned over and she smiled wide, eyes opening as she saw none other than Roxy standing in the doorway, bending down slightly to get through the door.
Cassie had seen many kids' reactions to seeing the animatronics in-person. Many kids loved the characters, the old show, the art and so on. But when they actually saw the massive robots, there was apprehension, sometimes fear.
But she didn’t understand that at all! Maybe it was the amount of time she’d gotten to spend around the Pizzaplex, but the animatronics seemed perfectly normal to her! They matched the version of the characters in her head even better than some of the art or cutouts that one could find around.
And Roxy remained her favorite.
“Hi! Hi Roxy!” Cassie yelled excitedly, quickly getting off the table and walking over, extending a hand. “I’m Cassie! Yeah, yeah it is!”
“Well, aren’t you special?” Roxy chuckled, bending down and taking her hand. The metal felt a bit odd in Cassie’s grip, but Roxy was gentle enough to not break anything, thankfully. “You know, when it’s your birthday, that’s the only day-”
“Where we’re number one instead of you,” Cassie finished, bobbing her head.
Roxy co*cked her head, smirking. “So you’ve been studying me, hm?”
“Uh-yeah, I’ve seen a few other kids have their birthdays here,” Cassie said, shrugging, trying to seem casual. To her, it wasn’t casual. Still, best to pretend that she hadn’t been reading up on everything Roxy for months now.
“How old are you turning?” Roxy asked, bending down to be closer to Cassie’s level.
“11,” Cassie replied.
Roxy made a hm sound. “You know what that makes you,” she said, holding up a finger. “That makes you number-one, twice! Extra special!”
Carlos smiled a bit as he stepped over, peering out through the door of the Party Garage, hiding a bit of worry as Roxy stepped by him and kept heading over to the meeting spot for the next race. Shouldn’t…shouldn’t people have started arriving by now?
At that moment, his Fazwatch started to beep. “Carlos? Carlos, you there?”
Carlos groaned a bit as Cassie looked over, raising an eyebrow, and quickly lifted his watch to his mouth, hitting the speaker. “Not right now, okay? I’m on a personal day. Just because I’m in the building doesn’t mean I’m available.”
“Carlos, it’s really important. Where are you right now?”
“I don’t have the time for this!” Carlos insisted, glancing back at his daughter, who was sitting at the table. Her smile had dropped, and she seemed…almost resigned.
“This is serious, Carlos!”
Carlos growled a bit, then hit the speaker button. “I’m in one of the Raceway Party Garages.”
“Alright. Make your way to the Security Office above Rockstar Row. We’re meeting there in the next ten minutes.”
“What?” Carlos asked, a bit panicked. “I’m not on shift-I can’t leave here! It’s my daughter’s party, I-”
There was no reply. Silence. Swallowing, Carlos realized that whichever guard was on the other side must have ended the call.
The technician growled, dropping the arm with the watch and closing his eyes in frustration. Then, slowly, he turned to Cassie.
“You have to go?” she asked, sounding bored.
“Yeah,” Carlos sighed. “I-I’m really sorry, Cassie. I swear, I’ll finish up as fast as I can-”
“It’s fine,” Cassie replied, drinking from a red solo cup and sighing.
Carlos paused. “Really? You don’t mind?”
“Why would I? You didn’t show up for the last one, so it doesn’t really matter,” Cassie shrugged, without a hint of bitterness in her tone.
Carlos suddenly winced, those words feeling like a gut punch.
You’ve already failed as a father, why does it matter if you fail a little more?
“I-” Carlos tried, reaching out with one hand. Then he sighed, lowering it. “Thank you.”
With that, the technician turned and left, wondering how he could have screwed everything up so badly.
* * *
No one showed up.
Roxy blinked in a bit of surprise as she peeked in, seeing the familiar young girl sitting at a table, alone. Balloons were hung around. There was a used paper plate and plastic fork next to her, and a somewhat large carrot cake had been taken out from the freezer. Roxy watched as the girl-Cassie, she remembered-lit all eleven candles on the cake before blowing them out, looking incredibly melancholic as she did.
“Hey there, number one,” Roxy said, stepping in and leaning against the frame, folding her arms. “What’s going on? What happened to your dad?”
“He had to go,” Cassie replied. “Something with his job.”
“Ah,” Roxy nodded, glancing around. She’d finished another race, which usually took around thirty minutes. “Where are your friends? Shouldn’t they-”
Roxy paused as she looked back. Cassie was looking down. Her eyes were melancholic, but not surprised. As if she’d simply gotten confirmation for something she already expected.
“Sorry, kid,” Roxy sighed, glancing down. “That sucks.”
“I’m not like you,” Cassie sighed. “I’m not popular or cool or confident…I should’ve known better, when everyone accepted the invites. I guess it was just a prank.”
“Bonnie likes to do pranks sometimes. He ropes Monty into them too,” Roxy nodded. “Trust me, this isn’t a prank. Pranks are fun for everyone. Pranks leave everyone laughing. This is just being cruel.”
“I guess so. Still…” Cassie sighed. “No one likes a loser.”
Roxy winced, recognizing her own words.
She tried to reach out mentally, focusing on her connection to the wider system as a whole. Suddenly, a flood of words, messages, impulses, and sensations bombarded her at once.
That was just how it was, as an animatronic. Her system was designed to act a certain way, to do certain things, and to ensure that she was hooked into the Storyteller, which kept her busy.
Typically the flood of data was too much to handle throughout the day, which was why Roxy and most of the Glamrocks learned to tune it out. Some, like Bonnie, strugged doing that more than others. Still, sometimes that data was useful, and Roxy would have to force herself to listen.
As she opened her mind to the Storyteller again, she was immediately reminded of her evolving schedule for the day, and how her next planned task was the final race before starting the Glamrock shows for the night. She was given an immediate impulse to leave and go to the track for that final race, even though it wouldn’t happen for about an hour still.
Roxy was able to ignore that impulse with a little effort. The Storyteller didn’t push it. After all, the Storyteller never forced the animatronics to do anything.
Never.
But, once the immediate stream of data was endured, Roxy closed her eyes and sent a query into the massive database.
What do I do here?
The Storyteller immediately dissected the situation from the recordings that formed the Glamrock animatronics’ memories. It analyzed the situation as it had been designed to do, comparing it with any related instances and how things had worked then.
Eventually, the Storyteller gave her a response.
Unclear. Try again later.
Roxy sighed, tuning out the stream of data once again. Typically, if she ever came across a situation like this-a situation where she didn’t know what to do-she could rely on following the Storyteller’s instructions. The AI system had been designed to analyze and learn, and keep everything in the Pizzaplex running.
But this time, it seemed the Storyteller didn’t have the answer for her.
Roxy opened her eyes, looking at the saddened kid in front of her. She…she still had an hour before her next appointment.
The animatronic looked at her, then peeked out from the Party Garage and over at the large window set into the wall.
“Hey,” Roxy said, smiling as she looked back at Cassie. “Have you been to the Salon?”
“The…salon?” Cassie asked, co*cking her head.
“Yeah!” Roxy said, quickly picking up the cake and walking it back to the freezer, opening it up and sliding it in. “The Glamrock Beauty Salon! It’s one of the newest additions, it just got added in with the Log Ride! Why don’t we go check it out.”
“I thought the attractions in the newest extension weren’t open yet?” Cassie asked, sounding a bit worried.
“Technically not,” Roxy replied, waving dismissively. “But I happen to know for a fact that it’s fully safe and ready. The only reason the Salon isn’t open yet is because they want to release it at the same time as the Log Ride, and that thing isn’t finished yet. What do you say, kid?”
Cassie blinked, eyes shining, then smiled, holding out a hand. “That…sounds nice.”
“Awesome,” Roxy replied, smiling with her teeth out. She closed the freezer with the cake inside, then took Cassie’s hand.
That was another thing she had to be careful with-if she miscalculated and put too much pressure in a child’s hand, or moved too quickly, then she could break her by accident. That was something she could rely on the Storyteller for-it excelled at calculation, guiding her to apply just enough pressure to be comforting without hurting her. Even when Roxy was tuning that system out, it still guided her movement.
As the two left the Garage, Cassie suddenly yelped as Roxy picked her up, placing the girl on her shoulders.
“Hey?” Roxy chuckled. “What, do you want me to put you down?”
Cassie breathed out, but then started laughing. “No way!” she chuckled. “Let’s go!”
* * *
“Okay, this had better be important,” Carlos grumbled as he stepped through the door, hearing it automatically close behind him. “I had to leave my daughter’s birthday for this.”
The few people gathered in the large office all turned to him. Carlos blinked as he recognized Vanessa, one other security officer and a few more technicians like himself.
“Him too?” Vanessa sighed, turning to the other officer. “You know, we could have handled this ourselves-”
“No, we couldn’t. They need to be aware-” the other officer replied. He was clearly the one who had radioed Carlos.
“But-” Vanessa groaned, turning to Carlos. “So sorry about this, you should probably get back to-”
“He’s already here!” the other officer replied. Carlos read his nametag, reading Adam. “They all are!”
One of the other technicians coughed and raised a hand. “Uh, I would like to know what this is about. Since we’re already here.”
Vanessa rubbed her forehead, then stepped forward. “Don’t do this again,” she hissed to Adam as she stepped by. Then, bending over the keyboard, she swiped the mouse around a few times before hitting a few buttons on the large monitor and opening up what looked like an image file.
Carlos stepped closer, narrowing his eyes as the file opened to reveal an image, clearly taken from one of their security cameras, of the Fazerblast arena. As far as he could tell, it seemed…normal. The bright colors in the arena had been shut off-it must have been taken after hours-and the image was a wide shot from one of the cameras, capturing a large section of the arena.
“Do you see it?” Adam asked, stepping closer before pointing up near one of the corners. Carlos squinted and bent forward, as many of the others did, trying to see…
Was that it? Right where Adam was pointing was an open door that led through the maintenance hallways for Fazerblast. And rushing into the open door was a white blur, moving too fast to get any detail on it.
“What is that…that white thing?” one of the other technicians asked, seeming confused.
“We were hoping you could answer that question, Rob,” Adam replied, folding his arms. “You’re the tech for Fazerblast, aren’t you? It’s your job to keep Freddy online, to keep everything running there?”
“I…yeah, it is, but I haven’t seen anything like this!” Rob replied, gesturing at the screen. Vanessa groaned a bit, rubbing her forehead.
“Well, this isn’t the only instance we’ve seen something like this,” Adam explained, bending down and hitting a few keys on the keyboard. The images shifted, showing one from the loading dock area, one from the East Arcade, and most notably, one from Bonnie Bowl.
“These are all your areas,” Adam explained to all the technicians gathered, who were exchanging awkward glances. “Now, I’m not here to point fingers. All I want to ask is if you’ve seen anything. As far as we can tell, this white blur is an intruder in the Pizzaplex, and it’s my-”
Vanessa coughed.
Adam sighed. “Mine and Vanessa’s jobs to not let intruders in. So, have any of you seen anything that could be useful?”
Carlos thought for a moment, the other technicians quickly doing the same. He thought things had been pretty safe in the Bowling Alley so far…he could ask Bonnie to keep an eye out, he supposed…
Then, suddenly, Carlos’s head shot up. “I did,” he said, quickly raising his hand. “I just remembered. Yesterday, I thought I saw someone watching me from the corner of my eye, in the small arcade that’s in Bonnie Bowl. When I turned, I just saw someone dart away. I…I think they were wearing white, and I thought I saw some large red eyes too. But they darted away before I could see anything. When I stepped over to check, they were gone. The only place they could’ve gone was the nearby supply closet, and that requires security clearance to enter, so I figured I just imagined it.”
“Right…well, we’ll keep that in mind. Whoever it is probably got some clearance somehow, though how they did is beyond me,” Adam sighed, looking over at the monitors. “You’re all dismissed. Just keep an eye out, and tell your animatronics to.”
“But other than them, keep this between us,” Vanessa cut in quickly. “We don’t need this getting out.”
Adam gave her a look, but Carlos and the others all nodded, before slowly breaking and walking out.
Carlos hummed to himself, thinking as he stepped out through the same door he’d come through. Maybe, if he hurried, he’d be able to beat Cassie’s friends there, and no one would even question-”
“Hey!” Adam said quickly, rushing out the door and grabbing his arm as Carlos tried to walk down the stairs. “Carlos, is it? Can I talk to you?”
Carlos sighed, turning back. “I really need to hurry-”
“We can talk while we walk,” Adam replied, gesturing down. Carlos shrugged, then kept going down the stairs to Rockstar Row. “I just wanted to followup about what you saw in the Alley.”
“I said everything that I saw,” Carlos shrugged. “Someone, wearing white and something red, rushing and hiding in the supply closet in the arcade.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Adam sighed. “But was there anything else? This is really important-whoever this person is, they could be dangerous.”
“That seems like a bit of a stretch,” Carlos replied, shrugging as he finished walking down the stairs and exited the backstage door, back into Rockstar Row. “All we have are a few grainy images from a few random locations around the Pizzaplex.”
“Yeah…I’m just worried,” Adam replied, gripping his own arm, following Carlos down. “I mean, this place already has a bit of a precedent for people disappearing-”
“We got rid of that damn pig already,” Carlos replied, grumbling.
Behind them, the door opened again and Vanessa peeked out, looking after the two, curious.
“I just think they might be connected,” Adam replied. “We managed to deal with VIP and sweep it under the rug, but if things start happening again-”
“I guess that’s fair, but you might be making a mountain out of a molehill,” Carlos replied, shaking his head.
“What? Why would I-”
“Because you want to take Vanessa’s job?” Carlos asked, looking back and giving him a sarcastic look. “Come on, we all know how bitter you were when she got the Head position over you.”
Adam’s face dropped, and he looked annoyed. Behind them, Vanessa smirked.
“Nevermind,” Adam groaned, turning and stalking away.
* * *
“Remember, being a winner is about confidence,” Roxy explained, gripping a makeup brush in a few fingers as she carefully did Cassie’s rockstar makeup. “It’s about attitude. You earn being a winner, by being you.”
“I don’t know if I’m the best at that…” Cassie muttered, trying not to move her face too much as Roxy patted her cheeks down.
“Well, that’s what this is for!” the animatronic replied. “Makeovers don’t solve all your problems, but they do help with confidence! Be your best self! Be a winner! Be-”
“Number one?” Cassie asked, smiling a bit.
Roxy paused. “Usually, I’m the only number one,” she replied slowly. Then she smiled. “But today, yes. Be a number one.”
Cassie giggled a bit. “Okay.”
“Here we go!” Roxy said, quickly grabbing the seat Cassie was in and spinning it around. “What do you think, kid?”
Cassie blinked in surprise, before lifting a hand and touching her cheek. She looked…different. Roxy’s makeup decorated her face, cleaning it up, making her look…better.
She looked like a winner.
“I like it,” Cassie replied with a smile.
“Great!” Roxy replied, grabbing a seat and sitting down next to her.
Cassie looked down, examining herself in the mirror and chuckling slightly. “I…I wasn’t expecting things to go like this…”
Roxy glanced down at her. “Yeah,” she nodded. “Things often don’t go the way we expect. We’ve just gotta make the best of it.”
“What do we do?” Cassie asked, looking up at her. “When we don’t know what to do?”
Roxy froze, with the young girl’s eyes on her. This felt…strange. Odd, but not necessarily in a bad way.
The wolf animatronic had her fair share of fans. She’d had her share of parties, of autographs, of singing and celebration and excitement.
But this was different. This was quiet. Just a young girl, asking her for advice.
Something Roxy was not designed for. Something that the Storyteller could not help her with.
“I…” Roxy asked, unsure. She…she didn’t know what to say right now. That was a strange feeling.
How ironic, that in answering this question, the thing that usually told Roxy what to do was silent.
“You listen,” Roxy eventually said. “You…you focus on what you know. And you look out for the people who care about you.”
“Look out for the people who you care about?” Cassie asked, co*cking her head.
“No,” Roxy replied, shaking her own. “Look out for the people who care about you. Sometimes, you care about someone, but they don’t care about you. They might use you, whether they realize it or not. And even if it hurts, you shouldn’t give them any more chances than they deserve. But if you look out for the people who actually care about you, who want the best for you, then…then you’ll end up alright.”
Cassie blinked, processing the answer. Then she smiled. “Thanks, Roxy.”
“You’re welcome, superstar,” Roxy replied, tapping her on the nose with a chuckle.
That was…strange. It didn’t come from the Storyteller. It just came from…Roxy.
And as Cassie pushed herself to her feet and walked around a bit, examining the Salon more fully, Roxy smiled as she felt something for this kid. She cared about her.
“So this place is gonna open soon?” Cassie asked, looking over at Roxy.
“Soon,” Roxy nodded. “I think the people in charge are gonna split this from the Log Ride, so that they can open this and keep testing the Log Ride, making sure it’s safe.”
“Ooohh, can we go on the ride too?” Cassie asked, eyes wide.
“No, I don’t think so,” Roxy chuckled, standing up. “The Salon is safe, and nearby. The Log Ride is a bit more risky.”
Cassie deflated a bit. That Log Ride sounded like a lot of fun. “I-okay, then.”
Roxy smiled, only for it to drop as the Storyteller suddenly made itself known.
Final Race begins in 5 minutes. Path is calculated to take 3 minutes and 47 seconds, giving enough time to greet the racers before it begins.
Roxy grit her teeth against the sudden urge to leave and get to the track. I can be a little late.
Incorrect. Final Race begins in 5 minutes. Path is calculated to take…
Roxy groaned a bit as the urge to leave once again took her, all while the Storyteller continued its spiel. Cassie gave her a strange, worried look.
“Sorry kid, I’ve gotta go,” Roxy sighed, starting to walk toward the glass doors in the empty Salon.
“I-what? You do?” Cassie asked, sounding disappointed.
“Yeah…the final race for the day is starting soon,” Roxy nodded slowly. “But hey, do you want to join?”
“I don’t think so. Dad says it’s too dangerous. He wants me to wait until I’m at least twelve,” Cassie sighed.
“Alright…I’ll see if I can come back up later!” Roxy offered as she pushed open the glass doors. “I…I might have a show then, though…gotta meet up with the others…”
“It’s okay, Roxy,” Cassie replied, faking a smile and pointing. “You can go. You don’t have to spend the entire day with one kid, I know how many come to the Raceway to meet you.”
Roxy sighed. “Thanks, kid,” she nodded, before quickly jogging away, out of the Salon doors and back through the entryway.
Meanwhile, Cassie’s smile dropped and she slowly walked over to the massive window set into the wall, which looked down onto the Raceway. Slowly, she bent down and sat, legs crossed, up against the window.
Then, finally alone, she slowly started to break down.
It was just another confirmation of something Cassie had hoped wouldn’t be true. She should have known better-Roxy was just an animatronic, after all. Of course she was only hanging out with her because it was her built purpose. And Cassie was stupid to think it was anything different.
It was the same with Carlos. Her dad, who never could make the time for her. He had a legal responsibility to take care of her, that was it. He may have loved her mom, but ever since her death…
And it was the same with her so-called ‘friends’. People who couldn’t give less of a sh*t about her whenever she tried to reach out. It didn’t matter if Cassie helped them with homework, or did them a favor, or was never anything but polite and kind. She was nothing but another random kid to them, until they wanted to make her into a joke!
Cassie broke down, crying at the window. The tears welled up, falling down her face, quickly destroying Roxy’s makeup which had given her such confidence just moments prior. The girl sniffed.
Everyone leaves you.
It was a shame that Roxy’s advice was useless to her. After all, if she was supposed to look out for those who cared about her, then she wouldn’t have to look out for anyone.
She was just a loser. Even if Roxy could help her pretend otherwise, for a little while.
Unbeknownst to her, someone peeked in through the Salon doors, curious about the crying sounds, co*cking his head in confusion when he noticed the girl quietly crying by the window.
Cassie finally blinked, opening her eyes. Down below, she could see Roxy giving her starting speech to the kids who had gathered in the Raceway opening, their carts having been chosen.
Cassie just shook her head, looking down at her feet, feeling…forsaken.
Alone.
“Hey, are you alright?”
Cassie blinked, turning slowly as she saw a boy, about her age or maybe a little older, co*cking his head in faint confusion. Not pity, thankfully, but confusion. He had short brown hair that fell across his eyes, which were the same color. He wore a blue shirt and tan pants, and had white and red sneakers on.
“I…I’ll be fine,” Cassie replied, looking back at the window.
The boy co*cked his head, then walked forward and kneeled next to her. Cassie didn’t reply.
The two watched out the window for a second as the race began.
“Here,” he offered, holding out a small napkin, with a smile. “I swiped it from one of the tables down there.”
“I…thanks,” Cassie replied, taking the napkin. She quickly wiped her face clean, clearing off her tears and wiping away her ruined makeup. “I appreciate that.”
“Eh. I figured I might need a spare, just a coincidence that I ran into you,” the boy shrugged. “So what’s going on?”
Cassie sighed. “I…” she pursed her lips. “Don’t pity me, please. I really don’t want that right now.”
“I solemnly swear that I will not pity you,” the boy replied with a very serious expression.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “It’s my birthday today…I invited everyone around, they all said they would come, and no one did. Then my dad had to go for some work thing, and Roxy-she was hanging out with me because I guess I’m that pathetic-had to go too.”
The boy nodded. “Okay. That sucks.”
Cassie sighed. “Well, it sounds mundane when I just say it like that-”
“I’m sure it’s quite terrible,” the boy nodded, keeping that same solemn expression. “Anyway, you want to get something to eat?”
Cassie blinked. “What?”
“I mean, did you actually get lunch, or…” the boy co*cked his head.
“I…no, I must have forgotten,” Cassie replied, shrugging.
“Then c’mon,” the boy said, standing up and lowering a hand to her. “I may or may not have a Level Four pass which will get us into the restaurants. They’re prepping for the dinner rush right now, so it’s the perfect time…”
Cassie blinked. “What? You mean just…break and enter?
“More like scan and enter,” the boy shrugged. The idea of breaking the rules seemed rather normal to him. “You can take it right from the kitchens. Most of their food goes to waste anyway, so we’re not taking it from anyone else’s plate. If we were, then they’d just make another one.”
Cassie froze, looking at his extended hand.
“Well, I suppose you can just sit here and cry by yourself. That does sound equally rewarding,” the boy replied, shrugging as he turned and started walking away.
“I-wait, no!” Cassie said, pushing herself up. “I want to come with you. Can I?”
The boy smiled, turning back around. “Sure,” he nodded, extending a hand. “The name’s Gregory.”
Cassie smiled, then shook it. “Cassie.”
* * *
“This was a bad idea, this was a bad idea, this was a bad idea-”
“Oh, calm down!” Gregory chuckled, pressing a finger to his lips in a shushing motion.
Cassie swallowed as, on the other side of the door, she heard the guard mumbling to himself as he stepped up. She swore her heart beat out of her chest when she heard him walk into the door, blinking and mumbling, before muttering, “Stupid watch,” and walking away, presumably to find a technician.
“Okay, we’re good!” Gregory snickered, pushing off from the door and walking over to the computer. After sneaking past the restaurant staff and finding the industrial elevator that led down to the kitchen level, Gregory had quickly led her up the stairs, above the kitchen itself and into the nearest security office.
“We really shouldn’t be down here!” Cassie insisted, peeking back. But at the same time, she couldn’t stop tapping her feet and shifting around. There was such an energy from this rebellion that she wasn’t accustomed to.
“Why not? It’s the perfect chance to grab some early dinner,” Gregory replied, face lit up by the tablet in front of him. “This thing has got a connection to the delivery service, and with those new security bots, we won’t have to worry about getting caught!”
“The delivery service?” Cassie asked. “You’re gonna order a pizza…to the office right outside the kitchen?”
“Well, we can’t very well go inside without getting caught by the staff, can we?” Gregory shrugged. “So long as we’re fast enough, we can slip right out before that guard gets back with a technician.” The boy snickered. “Imagine that. He’ll have told the tech that the door is sealed and won’t open, only to come back to it working perfectly. Wish we could see that…”
Cassie blinked. “You…know a lot about this place.”
“I mean, yeah? I do?” Gregory nodded, quickly inserting the order into the tablet.
“How can you navigate these places so well? Heck, how’d you get a Level Four pass in the first place.”
Gregory paused, mouth open, clearly searching for an answer before he quickly coughed and muttered, “So what do you want on the pizza?”
Cassie narrowed her eyes.
“I was thinking a half-in-half, so we can both get something,” Gregory shrugged. “Personally, I’m not a fan of that not-meat stuff-”
“Why are you trying to change the subject?”
“You seem like the type of person who likes the full meat too, though. Am I reading that wrong?”
Cassie sighed. “You are. I like the not-meat stuff.”
“Really?” Gregory asked, sounding almost affronted as he looked over at her.
“Sue me. Processed food isn’t all that bad,” Cassie shrugged. “I’d just like everything on it.”
Gregory shook his head, scoffing slightly, but edited the order and sent it in.
* * *
“I’m telling you, Roxy is the coolest Glamrock!” Cassie insisted, pointing. The two, after hiding and escaping the kitchen and restaurant, had taken their pizza back to the Raceway. Now, they sat near the edge with the box open between them, watching the racing below. “She’s super confident, and she never takes anyone’s crap!”
“You haven’t seen her after hours,” Gregory chuckled.
“Then-well, who’s your favorite?” Cassie asked, folding her arms tightly.
Gregory smiled. “DJ Music Man!” he said instantly, raising his hands in a ‘raise the roof’ motion despite the slice of pizza still hanging from his hand. “No one is cooler than him.”
“He can’t even talk, or leave the West Arcade! He barely even has a personality!” Cassie retorted.
“Yeah, but his raw charisma shines through despite the fact that he can’t talk!” Gregory replied. Then he sighed. “Okay, if we’re taking Music Man off the table, then probably Bonnie or Freddy. They’re both pretty nice.”
Cassie blinked as Gregory slowly moved his slice down, taking another bite. They’d both eaten through a good amount of the pizza despite the fact that Cassie was getting pretty full.
The way Gregory talked about everything…it was strange. The boy clearly had a lot of experience with the place and with the animatronics…and he had found her in the Salon, which wasn’t supposed to be open to the public…and he had a Level Four pass…
“Gregory?” Cassie asked, eyes going down as she grabbed another slice from the box. “Can I ask you something, and can you answer it?”
“I…guess so, sure,” Gregory shrugged.
Cassie sighed. “You…aren’t supposed to be in the Pizzaplex, are you?”
Gregory pursed his lips, not responding.
“I won’t tell anyone if you aren’t,” Cassie said quickly, before chuckling a bit. “Honestly, you’re basically the only real friend I have right now.”
Gregory looked down at the Raceway. The karts were zooming along it-apparently the racers had decided to go one more time, adding another thirty minutes to the usual time limit.
The boy had one leg hanging through the handrail, grabbing onto it with one other hand, while Cassie had her legs neatly folded with them both behind the rail.
“I’m…not,” Gregory sighed. “The truth is…”
Cassie leaned in, curious.
“I…live here,” Gregory admitted quietly.
“Wait, what?” Cassie asked, her voice level raising accidentally in shock. “You-”
“Shhh!” Gregory insisted. “Please, don’t tell anyone!”
“I…” Cassie paused. “What about your parents?!”
Gregory looked down at the pizza box between them. “Never knew them,” he muttered, taking another bite of the pizza. “I was in foster care for awhile…they didn’t care about me, though. It was one of those places, who fosters a bunch of kids for the money that the government gives them…eventually I cut and ran. I came here because…well, I didn’t know where else to go. And eventually, I figured out how to live here. I know where the cameras are, the patrols that the guards take, I even managed to make a small area to sleep in, up in the Daycare.”
“Whoa, really?!” Cassie asked, eyes wide. “How do you deal with Eclipse?!”
“Eclipse is on my side,” Gregory shrugged. “Bonnie too. They can recognize that I’m better off here than I am out there. So long as they only see me in Safe Mode, then the system never sends out an alert. Some of the employees help me out too…though they pretend not to.”
“I see…” Cassie nodded slowly, glancing down. Then she looked up again. “You’re secret’s safe with me, Gregory.”
Gregory smiled. “Thanks,” he said, nodding. He lifted up the end of his slice, while Cassie raised her own mostly uneaten one.
“To friendship?” Cassie asked hopefully.
Gregory scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You’re so cliche.”
“Hey!” Cassie protested, but she couldn’t stop a giggle.
“What are you two doing?!”
Cassie suddenly froze, turning and seeing her father, Carlos, standing at the doors to the Raceway just behind them. He blinked, seeming surprised.
“I…sorry I’m late, Cassie,” Carlos nodded, stepping forward. “Seemed like things just kept coming up-”
“It’s fine, dad,” Cassie replied, seeming to die down a bit as she stood up, dropping the pizza back into the box. “It’s probably time to go now, right?”
Carlos sighed. “I…well, yes, but we don’t have to if-”
Cassie walked forward. She cast one glance back. “Bye, Gregory,” she nodded to him, ignoring her father. “Thanks for today. I had fun.”
“Meet me in the Fazpad tomorrow!” Gregory replied with a reassuring smile, closing the box. “I’ve still got a lot to show you, not-meat-eater!”
Cassie giggled again, before skipping out the front door. Carlos just watched her go, before blinking and turning back to the kid.
Gregory saw him, then coughed awkwardly, looking down.
Carlos smiled, walking forward. “Gregory, huh?”
“I…yeah,” Gregory sighed.
“You’re the kid who…”
“Mhm,” Gregory muttered, tapping his fingers on the box. “And you’re one of the ones who…helps me.”
“Yeah,” Carlos nodded.
The two stood-well, Carlos stood and Gregory sat-in awkwardness for a little bit.
“Are you going to turn me in?” Gregory eventually asked, looking up. “To the authorities?”
Carlos sighed. “No,” he eventually said. “You aren’t hurting anyone…and you’re probably better off here anyway. Just promise me you’ll check in with someone. Cassie, me, Bonnie, Eclipse, just someone. So we can make sure you’re doing alright.”
“I promise,” Gregory nodded slowly. “And…thank you.”
“I should be thanking you,” Carlos replied, nodding to him. The technician turned to the doors, where Cassie had left, and sighed. He glanced back for just a second, as Gregory co*cked his head, confused.
“At least someone made her happy today,” Carlos eventually murmured, before walking forward and following his daughter out.
