Disclaimer: this will mostly be based off of Markiplier's gameplay.

Freddy Fazbear Pizzaplex
Ken's POV
After leaving the creepy bot family behind, our little trio made our way to the top of the stairs and found ourselves within the same maze of shelves I'd gone through before. The smell of overripe garbage was gradually replaced with the fresh scent of laundry detergent and I found myself breathing deeply in relief. That relief was quickly replaced with slight panic as the cleaner bots came into view; Music Man quickly ducked into my hair again. They spotted us and started waving their thin arms in warning, but Chica simply waved them off with one of her own.

"Don't worry, fellas," She assured them in her preppy tone. "He's with me!"

Content with her answer, the cleaner bots waved instead in greeting and went back to their work. My heartbeat calmed and I turned my head to regard Chica. "Thank you."

She gave me a quick wink and whispered, "No problem."

With her still acting as my crutch, we made our way past the maze of shelves and cleaner bots until we found ourselves back in the loading docks. "There's a service elevator that leads to the main atrium at the back wall," Chica informed me, pointing in the general direction. "S.T.A.F.F. bots and maintenance workers use it to get to and from the loading docks. It's inaccessible to party guests, but..." She glanced tentatively at me. "I think we can make an exception for you."

I had to roll my eyes at that.

We found the service elevator exactly where Chica said it was. Unlike the other doors I'd seen tonight, this door had a split in its middle that allowed it to roll both up and down as we neared. The space inside was large, though the state it seemed to be in made me uneasy about stepping in. Chica pulled me in anyway and pushed the Freddy-head button on the wall to send our ride into motion.

To fill the silence, Chica turned her attention to my physical wellbeing. "How's your ankle doing?" She asked me, glancing down at the troublesome limb.

I glanced down as well and tested my ankle against the rough floor of the elevator. "Still pretty sore," I told her. "Though not as bad as it could've been if I'd had to do that all myself." I looked back at her. "Truly, thank you."

Chica giggled slightly. "You're thanking me too much," She said modestly. "Really, it's nothing! After all..." Her tone took a somber turn. "It's the least I could do."

I sensed that she was going to her dark place again and decided to put a stop to it. "What happened wasn't your fault, Chica," I reminded her firmly, squeezing her slightly with the arm slung over her shoulder. "You just have to remember that and forge on." Music Man clapped its cymbals together encouragingly.

Chica slid her blue eyes to the two of us, then nodded slightly and looked forward again, conversation over.

The elevator eventually jerked to a stop and the doors slid open. I heard the same techno theme song of the Pizzaplex and everything around us bore the same electric colors I'd come to expect from the upper levels, but I had no idea where we'd ended up. Chica spared me the confusion by taking me through a few doors to show me the main space, and I was surprised to learn that we were back in the main atrium - not too far from the vent I'd used to get down to the kitchen, as a matter of fact.

It's weird, how this entire place is connected, I thought as I spotted the main stage with the dancing holograms; I when I saw the large chicken with her guitar.

When we were far enough into the main atrium to see all the sights yet hidden enough not to he instantly noticed, Chica turned to me. "Try Freddy on your FazWatch," She instructed me. "You should be able to reach him now that we're on the main floor."

Freddy! With all the excitement of escaping the lower levels, I had nearly forgotten about my bear friend. I let go of Chica's shoulder for a second so I could bring my wrist to my face, hopping on my other foot slightly to keep the weight off my ankle. "Freddy?" I tried hopefully. "Are you there?"

"KEN!" He came through immediately; I had to pull my wrist away slightly at how loud he was. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU WENT DARK ON MY MAP AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVER SINCE!"

I checked the volume settings, but they'd remained the same. I guess Freddy was just that relieved to know I was okay. My lips pulled into a guilty smile as I realized how much he cared for me. "Sorry for making you worry, Freddy," I told him truthfully. "Me and Chica just had to get out of the basement levels. There's some crazy stuff down there."

Freddy was quiet for a second before responding in a softer voice, "Chica? She's there with you?"

I brought my wrist closer to Chica so she could answer for herself. "Yup!" She said cheerfully into the device. "Hi, Freddy~!"

"And you are... okay?" Freddy asked cautiously.

Chica laughed, though there was no joy behind it. "Depends on what you mean by 'OKAY'," She admitted.

"W-well, I mean... are you YOU?" Freddy clarified.

"In that case, I'm perfectly fine!" Chica told him, perking up. "Ken here zapped me with Project Reboot and snapped me out of it!"

"That is wonderful!" Freddy said happily. "Do you think you will be able to help us, then?"

"Try my best," Chica promised with a slight shrug and a quick glance towards me. "I make no promises, though. Your limits are also mine."

I pulled my wrist back to my face so I could get a say in this. "Doesn't matter - just the fact that you two are up for helping me is enough," I assured them gratefully.

"We shall try our best, Ken," Freddy told me. "Now, where are the two of you?"

"We're in the main atrium," Chica informed him and I jerked my wrist closer to her so Freddy could listen. "We're going to take the main stage down to Parts and Service, though. Kenny's got a sprained ankle, so we've gotta get him a First Aid kit."

"How unfortunate," Freddy noted. "Very well - I will meet you at the main stage."

"See you then," I agreed, then set down my wrist to end the transmission and looked at Chica. "Shall we?" I asked in mock chivalry, stretching out my arm.

"We shall," Chica replied with a slight giggle, replacing my arm over her shoulders and starting forward. Music Man, unfortunately forgotten during the entire conversation, made itself known by clicking its teeth together excitedly.

The carpeted floors and pounding theme song transformed our advances into whispers as we made our way to the main stage. We neither heard nor saw either of the other two animatronics, though I surprised myself by being disappointed at the fact. The FazerBlaster with Project Reboot was still concealed snugly inside my coat and I could have easily taken it out at a moment's notice - it would have been a perfect opportunity to use it on one of them. I groaned; Chica mistook the sound for one of pain and squeezed my wrist over her shoulder encouragingly. "Don't worry, Kenny - just a little further!" She assured me.

The Freddy-head button on the main stage was a welcome sight, though we had to wait for Freddy to arrive before using it to activate the lift. Our little trio took a space in the middle of the stage to wait, and sure enough, Freddy came bounding from the entrance to Rockstar Row - he must have gone there in the hopes that I would eventually make my way up and meet him there.

As soon as he saw us, he ran up the stairs and made his way towards us. "I am so relieved that you are both okay," He announced, sounding almost breathless.

"Well, for the most part," I pointed out, making a show of hopping on one foot.

Freddy's gaze rested on me. "Right, apologies," He amended quickly. "Which ankle is it?"

"The left," I responded, lifting the appropriate appendage for emphasis.

"I will do a quick scan," Freddy said, then went quiet as his eyes lit up and swept across my body. When he was done, he nodded affirmatively. "You do have a sprain there, though it is a relatively small one," He described. "A simple ankle brace should do. However, you also have several other minor injuries that require medical attention. It is in our best interests for the three of us get to Parts and Service as soon as possible."

Music Man popped up on my shoulder and made a noise that almost sounded like an AHEM.

Freddy blinked rapidly at the sight, but I waved him off. "Long story," I told him. "But to make that story short, we have a fourth member!"

"Yeah," Chica agreed, letting go of my wrist briefly to raise her first triumphantly. "Music Man here is the fourth member of the Free Ken Group!"

I felt my cheeks turn pink. She'd already made a name for us? "'Group' makes it sound a little formal, doesn't it?" I asked quietly.

"Free Ken Club?" Chica tried.

"That makes it sound like this is all for fun..."

"Free Ken Harem?"

My cheeks went from pink to beet red. "D-do you even know what that means?" I inquired with wide eyes.

"No - I've just heard some of the adults use it. It sounds like a group of people or something," Chica clarified; her head tilted when she saw the panicked look in my face. "Why? Do you know what it means?"

This is a place for kids, I reminded myself with a small breath of relief. Of course they wouldn't know what it means. The only reason I even know about it is because I overheard a few kids laughing about it behind the teacher's backs at school. "No - never mind," I said quickly. "Let's just go back to club and leave it there." When Chica opened her mouth, possibly to protest, I turned my head towards the Freddy-head button that activated the lift. "Can we go to Parts and Service now, please?"

So on that note, Chica pushed the button and the stage began to lower. Unlike the last time we'd gone this way, the lights stayed on, so a certain pair of eyes didn't appear at the edge of the stage. Still, I couldn't really remember how much time had passed since the last time they'd gone out - I didn't even know how long I'd been passed out before Chica had woken me. It couldn't be that much longer before the end of the hour. I just hoped I was in running order by that point.

It felt like forever, but the lift eventually jerked, signifying that it had reached the bottom of the shaft. Chica and Freddy banded together to help me hop over to the large roll-up door that marked the entrance to Parts and Service. Music Man became our personal cheerleader as it perched on the back of my neck and clapped its cymbals in a marching band rhythm. Through the door, across the hall, past the Recharge Station (which I may need to get to later), up the ramp, through the double doors, through the observation room, until we finally reached the wonderfully familiar sights of Parts and Service.

Chica and Freddy brought me over to the table where I'd deposited most of my things ("Wow - you really HAVE been everywhere!" Chica noted when she saw the numerous Security Badges) before bustling off to find the First Aid kit. I crossed my legs to keep my injured ankle from painfully brushing the floor, and Music Man crawled onto my lap to keep me company. Together, we watched as Chica and Freddy opened drawers and emptied boxes in their search for the kit. It was actually a pretty entertaining show.

I found myself slightly unbelieving at the fact that Chica was here, helping us. She had been hunting me for most of the night, creepily calling my name in shadowy corridors and nearly making me pee my pants a few times. Yet here she was, checking every corner of a desk drawer for my sake. This night had been layers and layers of weird, but THIS had to be the weirdest.

The best way to defeat your enemy is to make them your friend.

It had been one of the many lessons PIXAL had taught us, taught to her by Master Wu, the second born son of the First Spinjitzu Master himself. I mused about the fact that I'd put it to use so soon.

"I have found it!" Freddy finally broadcasted, holding up a red/white kit for us to see. He brought it over to my table, and he and Chica got to work. Luckily, someone had left an ankle brace in the kit, so after taking off my shoe and sock, it went on my sprained limb first and foremost. Bottles of alcoholic cleaning solution and rolls of bandages came out of the kit next. Those went towards cleaning up and patching my numerous cuts from falling down the garbage compactor. Their scans of my body revealed injuries that I didn't even know were there, and I soon found myself wrapped up like a doll, sporting new bandages on my arms and legs. My body was still dirty as all get out, but I admittedly felt cleaner than I had all night.

It was in that moment of peace that I decided to ask what had pressing on my mind for a while, "Why do you two sound different?"

Chica looked up from where she was tying a bandage around my knee. "Excuse me?" She asked, sounding surprised.

"Pardon?" Freddy added where he was inspecting the band-aids on my cheek.

"You know..." I drew out, pointing at Freddy and then Chica. "YOU only speak with words like 'I AM' and 'DO NOT', while YOU speak with abbreviations like 'I'M' and 'DON'T'. I'm just wondering why you don't speak the same."

"Oh, that," Freddy replied first. "I am the main singer of the band, so I am programmed to always use proper grammar and enunciate my words to ensure that I am always understood by everyone in the audience."

Chica shrugged uninterestedly and focused her attention back on the bandage. "I just don't see what the big deal about grammar is," She admitted wistfully. "Now, Kenny, is this too tight?"

With most of my injuries patched, I was feeling much better about my situation until the lights went out.

Chica stiffened. "Oh no..." She whispered fearfully. "Does this mean...?"

"Yes," Freddy confirmed solemnly. He stepped back and gave me an imploring look. "Ken, the Daycare Attendant will be here any second - you need to get to the Recharge Station!"

I was already on my feet and moving towards the door; I unfortunately had to leave Music Man on the table in my haste, though I heard it cheer me on with its cymbals as I made my getaway. The brace made my ankle feel considerably better, though I still found myself limping slightly as I ran, and the fact that I was running while partially barefoot certainly didn't help. Back through the double doors, through the observation room, through the other double doors, down the ramp and to the left.

Moony was already there, blocking my path to the Recharge Station. "It's past your bedtime..." He drawled.

How is he already here? I griped, sliding to a stop right in front of him. There was no way to get to the Recharge Station without having to go around him, and his long, knobby fingers were already twitching as if they couldn't wait to grab me. I had to do something.

From there, it was almost like I was moving in a haze, reaching into my coat to pull out the FazerBlaster, bracing it across my forearm, and firing it into Moony's glowing-red eyes.

The nighttime animatronic's head jerked back painfully as he jerked and shuddered from the shot. Eventually he stilled, slightly hunched over with his unseeing eyes staring at the floor.

I waited for a few seconds to see if he would start moving again. When it became clear that he wouldn't, I still had to awkwardly scooch around him in order to get into the Recharge Station and restart the power. Once that was said and done, I remained inside the red cylinder to see what would happen. The lights came back on, and I watched as Moony's nightcap disappeared into a compartment in his head and familiar spikes popped out. Navy blue ruffles slid into the thin body to make way for rich red ones, and the puffy night sky pants unclasped and slid up to reveal a different pair dyed a gold-striped maroon. Lastly, the color of his body lightened to a muted gold.

When the transformation was complete, Sunny finally started moving again. His circular head jerked up and looked from side to side, seeming surprised to discover that he was no longer in the Daycare. He noticed me in the Recharge Station and offered a quick little wave, to which I replied with my own. He then jerked his thumb over his shoulder and nodded his head apologetically. Realizing that he was probably duty bound to get back to the Daycare, I nodded back at him and made a shooing motion with my hand. Sunny bowed theatrically towards me, then disappeared around the corner.

When he was gone, I stepped out of the Recharge Station and peeked around the corner. No sign of Sunny, and he didn't use the lift to get back to the main floor or else I would have heard it. He must have gone back up another way.

I stood there in the hallway for a second as two thoughts came to mind:

1. Add that encounter to the long list of weird things that happened tonight.

2. Did Project Reboot actually work on Moony?

I remembered that Luis had said in his experiment logs that the Daycare attendants were the only animatronics that didn't show signs of being infected with the malware virus. But there were two personalities in one body - how could he know who did what? And they worked in a Daycare - those places had to be practically sparkling if they expected to get any patrons. Who's to say that Moony didn't scrub himself clean after committing a murder?

I remembered that Freddy and Chica were waiting for me in Parts and Service, and promptly stopped myself from jumping too far down the rabbit hole. My head slightly pounding, I went back up the ramp, through the observation room, and back into Parts and Service.

Freddy and Chica were pacing; they stopped as soon as they saw me and hurried over. Music Man jumped down from where it had been left on the table, hurried over, and used my body as a jungle gym to make its way to my shoulder. "Ken, are you okay?" Freddy asked first. "We saw a flash of light come from the hall - did you use Project Reboot on the Daycare Attendant?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, glancing over my other shoulder at the door to the hallway. "What will happen because of it, I have no idea."

Our group was quiet for a while after that. Freddy once again took the liberty of asking, "Well, what should we do now?"

I put my hand to my chin in thought. "Well... no we have to figure out how to draw out Roxy and Monty so we can use Project Reboot on them," I announced, raising the toy gun slightly; I hadn't put it away since I used it on Moony.

"I think I can help with that decision," Chica spoke up, raising one hand like we were in class. "Now that you have me on your side, you can access Roxy Raceway so we can lure Roxy out."

I blinked at her. Was it really that easy? "How?"

Chica giggled. "Roxy can't resist a race! We'll just hook you up to a go kart and send you down the track! She'll be so intimated by a potential rival, she'll be chasing you down in no time!"

I didn't know how I felt about Roxy chasing me, but we had no other ideas. "But... how do YOU have access to the track?" I decided to ask.

"Oh, I don't - not officially, at least. The track was closed due to construction," Chica explained. "But Roxy told me that they put up security fences with voice recognition locks around the entrance. My voice box can emit a high frequency sound that can disarm any voice recognition software. So just watch - I'll have that gate open in a snap!" She snapped her own fingers for emphasis.

"It does not just work on security softwares," Freddy broke in helpfully. "She has also sent several S.T.A.F.F. bots and even some of the other main mascots to Parts and Service simply for getting too excited during birthday parties. I seem to recall this one time, she got so excited when the birthday cake came out-"

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH, FREDDY!" Chica exclaimed hurriedly, shoving him slightly. Freddy held his arm like he was in pain, but even he was chuckling.

I laughed at their theatrics, and Music Man made a similar sound on my shoulder. "Alright then," I told them. "Let's do it."

After a brief pause in which I tugged my shoe over my new ankle brace and deposited the Level 4 Security Badge, we were off. The other elevators up to Rockstar Row were still out of order, so we had to crowd into Roxy's elevator and take it up to her room. When we got up there, we were immensely relieved to find that Roxy wasn't there - though that also would have been the perfect moment to use Project Reboot on her. Nevertheless, we exited Roxy's room and made our way through Rockstar Row back to the main atrium, then crossed the open space to Roxy Raceway.

I headed towards the entrance on the main floor, but Chica held me back. "The main floor entrance hasn't been accessible since construction started," She explained in a low voice, though we were the only ones in the atrium. "We'll have to take the second floor entrance."

So we made a single-file line up the stalled escalators, stopping when we got to Roxy Raceway. From there, we went through the entrance I had gone through earlier to find Freddy, finding our way through the maze of styrofoam walls and construction equipment. Soon we came to a makeshift platform made of wooden planks that brought us to a wire gate; a yellow metal box with a small speaker made up the lock.

"Is this one of those voice recognition locks you mentioned, Chica?" I asked her.

"Yup!" She confirmed, taking the lead. "You two might want to cover your ears unless you want to end up deaf!" Me and Freddy followed her warning and covered our ears with our hands; even Music Man awkwardly covered whatever ears it had with the rims of its cymbals. As we watched, Chica crouched next to the lock and appeared to prepare herself, pressing a fist to her chest and loudly clearing her throat. Then, with a quick backward glance to make sure we'd covered our ears, she released a high pitch squeal that I could hear even through my hands. The lock sparked and let out a squeal of its own in return, and the gate swung open slightly.

Chica stood up and turned back to us with a smug look, which told me it was okay to put down my hands. "Boom," She said simply, gesturing toward the unlocked gate.

"Nice work, Chica," I quickly commended her before hurrying through the gate. On the other side, it was a clear shot to a glass barrier that ringed the outside of a large go kart track. The track itself was done in the style of an Old Wild West town that you'd see in the United States, with numerous loops and turns that made it look like a three year-old's pen drawing. On the wall at the far end was a large painting of Roxy wearing a typical racing outfit and sunglasses while waving two checkered flags above her head. Her ever-present smirk was present underneath her sunglasses.

As we entered the cavernous space, a Roxy voiceover came over the loudspeakers: "Hey, I'm Roxanne Wolf. If you're looking for high-speed motor mayhem, Roxy Raceway is the place to be. Sign up today and be a winner! Nobody likes a loser."

"WHOA," I had to say as I took in the length of the track; I absentmindedly stuffed the FazerBlaster back into my coat. The little kid in me couldn't help but feel excited for the possible race. "This place is awesome!" Music Man clapped its cymbals rapidly, as ready to go as I was.

"Yes," Freddy agreed, standing next to me at the glass barrier. "Roxy Raceway is one of our more popular attractions, and it is not hard to see why. It is a shame it is closed for construction."

I tilted my head inquisitively. "Oh yeah - why is that, actually? The track looks fine to me." It was true - the asphalt almost seemed to shine, like it was itching for a race to happen on its surface.

"The track keeps cracking," Chica stepped in to explain. She pointed to a section of the track that was cornered off by a brigade of construction blockades. The section was split in several places by cracks that almost looked like scrapes from a very angry hand. "No one can explain it, but every time they pore a new section, cracks appear almost immediately. They keep shutting down the attraction for construction. Roxy hates it because she practically has nothing else to do all day."

I pondered that for a second - cracks showing up out of the blue - when I realized that both animatronics were standing close to me. Too close for comfort. "Why... are you standing like that?" I asked cautiously, looking at Freddy and then Chica.

"To keep you out of view of the S.T.A.F.F. security bots," Freddy said out of a stiff jaw.

It was then that I realized that the upper level surrounding Roxy Raceway was swarming with security bots; the lower level was even worse. They patrolled the glass barrier, beside the track, between the food stands, even BEHIND the food stands - I didn't think even HUMAN security guards normally checked behind there.

"Vanny," I growled, clenching the glass barrier with my fists. "She's definitely not gonna make this easy for us."

"It will be fine, Ken," Freddy assured me. "They cannot find you as long as we're with you."

"Yeah... about that," Chica broke in. "The maintenance workers usually put the go karts in the garages as the end of the day and lock them up tight. Knowing them, though, they were probably lazy and skimped on a few karts in order to pass under the radar. The karts they missed could be anywhere, though, and by my understanding, we're under a time crunch. So..." She paused before delivering the final blow. "We might need to split up to find one."

I whipped my head around to face her. "WHAT? We have to split up?" I gestured to the entire race track, to the numerous security bots patrolling it. "In THIS?"

"She makes a good point, Ken," Freddy agreed softly, making me whip my head to him next. "We are still under a time constraint, and we will need to free Roxy as soon as possible. Splitting up will allow us to locate a free go kart faster."

"B-b-but..." I stuttered, unbelieving that both of them would throw me to the proverbial wolves (though if Roxy was stalking somewhere, the analogy wasn't that far off). "What if I run into trouble? The FazerBlaster only has so many shots, you know!" I tapped the hidden toy gun to remind him.

"You can simply call us on your FazWatch, and we will hurry over as soon as possible," Freddy pointed out.

"Sure, I can call YOU," I reminded him. "But what if you're too far away and can't reach me in time?"

"I can help with that!" Chica responded readily. "Go into your FazWatch and go to settings. There should be an option that says 'connect to Chica'. Choose it and you should be able to communicate with me the same way you do with Freddy."

I followed her instructions, and sure enough, there was an option in the settings that said <<CONNECT TO CHICA>>. There were also settings that said <<CONNECT TO ROXY>> and <<CONNECT TO MONTY>>, though they were dull in comparison to the one with Chica's name. When I pointed it out to her, she explained, "Those settings will become usable when you're in the vicinity of their systems, but in their current state, that's debatable. It might not work on them."

I selected the Chica option, and Chica shook her head as the systems connected. "There - we should be able to communicate at any time, now!"

"Good," I replied, glancing down at the main floor with a grimace. "Because something tells me that it'll come in handy."

After connecting to Chica, we made our way down to the main floor and split up. We all checked opposite sides of the race track for a stray kart, though Music Man opted to remain on my shoulder, which I was greatly thankful for. I couldn't find anything other than construction blockades, security bots, and traffic cones; judging from the silence from my FazWatch, Freddy and Chica weren't having much luck, either. My hope diminished with every passing minute.

I'd nearly given up when Freddy's voice finally came through on my wrist, "Ken - I have found an unlocked kart, though there is some bad news."

"Well, bad news is better than no news at all," I told him, bringing my FazWatch to my face; I ducked behind a stack of blockades to keep out of view of the security bots. "So let's hear it!"

Freddy continued, sounding apologetic. "I am so sorry. It appears that the only karts that the maintenance workers did not bother to put away are the Driver Assist Karts. These are meant for smaller riders, so there is a S.T.A.F.F. bot in the back of the cart to help them steer."

"As long as it can still drive, I'm okay with it," I said, a little confused at his tone. "So what's the big deal?"

"Unfortunately, this Driver Assist Kart bot appears to be missing its head," Freddy finally revealed. "And the kart will not move unless all of its pieces are there. It is a safety precaution. I am truly sorry, Ken."

"Great - now we have a go kart that won't drive," I groaned, putting my head in my other hand. "So now what?" Music Man laid one of its cymbals on the back of my neck in an attempt to comfort me. It did nothing, but I appreciated the help.

"Wait!" Came Chica's voice. I looked around in surprise before I realized that it was coming from my FazWatch. This was going to take some getting used to. "I know where the maintenance workers keep the extra Driver Assist Kart bots - under the Northwest stairs!"

I blinked at my wrist. "And you know that... HOW, exactly?" I asked.

"I... spent a lot of time in here before they closed it down for construction," Chica said hurriedly, sounding cornered.

"Uh-huh," I said flatly; she'd used this same tone of voice with me down in the lower levels when she'd tried to hide her personal hideaway. When I'd pestered her about it then, though, it had led to a touchy subject, so I decided to do her a favor and not press the issue. I lifted my head and glanced around the track. "Northwest stairs - I think I'm not too far from there! I'll grab a replacement head from one of the other bots and meet you guys at the kart!"

So I made my way over to the stairs, dodging security bots all the way. It was at the opposite end of the track, though I found it easily enough. Once there, I found a wooden box with a sign that read DRIVER ASSIST BOT. With Music Man perched at the ready, I physically prepared myself and pushed the lid off the box.

A bot with a purple and green helmet immediately came tumbling out.

I ungracefully fell on my butt in shock; my mental state wasn't made any better when the bot's head came loose and fell at my feet. I was miraculously able to keep my screams inside during the entire episode, though my throat told me it was not for lack of trying. Music Man was also shaking on my shoulder, and I raised my hand to calm it down. "We're fine, we're fine," I told it softly. "Just took us by surprise."

When I got my heart starting again and Music Man quieted down, I got a closer look at the bot head. It certainly looked worse for wear - it was scratched profusely and even cracked in some places. No wonder it came off its body so easily. "Hey, Freddy," I said into my FazWatch. "I found the bot head, but it's really messed up. Something tells me it's not gonna work if we attach it to the Driver Assist Bot."

Freddy made a thoughtful noise. "You are right - it will most likely not work in that condition," He admitted. "However there is a S.T.A.F.F. repair station in the West Arcade. You will need a Dance Pass to access the West Arcade. Check the party garages. The raceway was closed very abruptly prior to the new construction. Guests tend to leave things behind in emergency situations."

Luckily Chica butted in before I went off on another side job. "Don't worry, I'm close to the Party Garages. I'll see if I can find a Dance Pass, then meet you guys at where we came in."

"Thank you, Chica, for saving my life," I told her gratefully. I couldn't stand the thought of being in those cramped garages with all of the added security.

Gingerly carrying the bot head, I snuck my way back up onto the second floor and back to the wire gate we'd used to enter the raceway. It didn't take long for Freddy to run up the stairs and join me, and it was an extra minute or two before Chica joined us. We snuck back into the styrofoam maze and closed the gate behind us in case anyone came knocking - unlocked, of course.

When we were safely alone, I turned back to Chica. "Did you get the Dance Pass?"

"Yup," She replied, lifting up her fist. She unfolded her fingers to reveal a purple and pink ticket. "Just give this to the Party Bot at the entrance, and you'll be allowed into the Fazcade for the next 24 hours."

"If I'm lucky, I won't be here in the next 24 hours," I told her hopefully, taking the ticket and stuffing it into my pocket.

So we went back the way we came and ended up back in the main atrium. The pink to purple sign of the Fazcade attraction wasn't too far from Roxy Raceway and we got there easily enough. I gave my Dance Pass to the Party Bot stationed at the entrance, which gladly waved me through and rolled away.

It was then that we ran into trouble.

"I must stay here," Freddy announced solemnly. "I wish I could join you, but after tonight's stage incident, I am not allowed to perform. When I step onto the West Arcade dance floor, I cannot stop myself. It is a programming bug."

"Me too," Chica agreed sadly. "We all have it - sorry, Kenny."

I stared between the two of them, waiting to see who would crack a joke first. Neither of them did - and they both looked genuinely apologetic as they slowly shifted on their feet.

They were serious.

I snuck a furtive glance at Music Man, who shook its head furiously and dug its tiny feet deeper into my shoulder. It wasn't going to leave me for anything. I shot it a grateful grin before directing my attention back to Freddy and Chica. "Alright, fine - me and Music Man will handle this next bit on our own. In the meantime, both of you should find a Recharge Station - all of this running around has got to be draining your batteries."

Both nodded their heads firmly. "Alright - good luck, Kenny!" Chica told me before turning and striding towards the escalators.

Before Freddy followed her, he turned to give me one request: "If you see the DJ, say hello. He is such a nice fellow."

I offered him a weak smile, but it turned into a tired glare at his retreating back. One thing I've learned about tonight - no one here is really NICE.

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6299 words.

Things are getting even weirder for Ken...