The Protectors; Book 1

Worst Birthday Ever

Foxete's POV:

I get a notification on my signal tuner.
"Control of ship has been transferred to 'Foxete'." I read to myself.
Maybe it was a precaution? In case Acron did die? Maybe he's alive?
False hope. I prepare myself for the worst.
I look at the teleporter.
"Is everyone accounted for?" I ask.
"Yes." Illoha replies.
"Then let's go get our friends." I smile reassuringly.
I need to be the strong one here. If Acron is dead, Bonnie is gonna be a mess. They'll look to me. Why me? I'm just 19! I'm.... I'm their captain. I need to stay focused.
I scan the planet, "Jake? Isn't Earth destroyed? How would Acron breathe?" I ask, after everyone except him files out.
He stays silent for a moment.
"He can't." He mutters, "He wouldn't be able to breathe. Earth is nothing but a small core, about the size of the moon."
"I'll except the worst and hope for the best." I sigh, keeping my composure.
"How old are you?" He asks.
"19 today." I smile.
"You act older, more mature. To be fair, you're probably used to this." He sighs.
"I'm not." I frown, "I just need to be strong for the others."
"You're a lot like Lexi." He laughs.
"That would make sense seen as we're friends." I walk away from the computer, "We're setting course to the planet."
"Good." He hesitates.
"Anything else?" I ask before walking out.
"Lexi and Dex keep talking and giving Foxy glares." He hesitates to tell me more, "I told her I wouldn't tell anyone, but I'm worried that she'll do something stupid." Jake looks away, "If... If he doesn't make it. I don't think loosing Foxy would make you a whole hell lot happier."
"I'll keep an eye on her." I promise.
"Thank you." He smiles.
I nod and walk out.
I'll see you soon, Bonnie.

Bonnie's POV:

I sit on the core of Earth. Kat told me it was the one set of coordinates she could never forget.
"Do you have a tracker?" I ask after 5 minutes.
"Oh! Yes! Oh god, we need to get that out." She panics, "Freddy will be here in minutes when he finds out I'm gone!"
I saw Foxete and Acron do this to Foxy, how hard could it be?
"Sit down here, I'll get it." I sigh.
My voice was back to normal, almost. It was deeper and solemn.
She sits in front of me and I decide to ask a question I should've asked sooner, "Do you need a password?"
"Oh, uh yes!" She nods, "It's ———" her voice bleeps out the password. She sighs, "They have it blocked."
"Of course they do." I sigh.
"Ok, so you're a Bonnie, and you know me, but I don't know you." She begins, "You probably share the same memories as my Bonnie, right?" She asks.
"That's what Freddy said." I nod.
"Great, it's a big leafy green thing that grows fruit outside of our pizzeria!" She explains.
A tree?
"You planted it. Freddy got mad?" She sighs.
"What kind of idiot uses 'apple tree' as a password?" I laugh.
"You got it." She smiles, "That's how you unlock my data in my protocol form."
"So, are you able to just slip in and out?" I ask.
"In, yes I am, but breaking out requires a motive. My motive to break out of the protocol before was to help you." She explains.
"Could you slip back in for a sec?" I smile nervously, "So I can ask your protocol some questions?"
She sighs, "Yep, just don't leave me like that!" She slips into her protocol, "God I hate this."
Her yellow eyes turn green.
"Hello sir!"  She smiles.
"Hello Kat, apple tree." I sigh.
"Access granted." She nods.
"How do I remove your tracking chip?" I ask.
"I'm sorry, but you need Freddy's authorization sir." She frowns.
"Alright." I nod. I pull out my gun and shoot it to my left twice.
She snaps out of her protocol.
"Did you get it?" She asks.
"Uh, no." I sigh, "I'm just gonna go off what Acron taught me."
"Don't break me!" She groans.
"After all that? No!" I laugh.
Same old Kat.

Foxete's POV:

    We should be arriving at Earth in about 10 minutes. I go into the training room Foxy set up downstairs and practice with the daggers he and Keori gave me. I need to let out my stress somehow. After I throw them I stick out my hand, the handle comes flying back to me. I practice using this for a bit until little Damien rushes downstairs. He grabs my pant leg and points upstairs.
"What happened? Is everything okay?" I ask, "Are we at the planet?"
Damien just nods.
Oh right, he doesn't speak much.
"Bonnie." Was all he said.
My eyes go wide and I rush upstairs with Damien at my heels. Are they alive? Was my first thought. I see Bonnie walk into the main hub surrounded by the crew, but when I enter the room and my heartbeat cuts.
Is he wearing Acron's scarf?
I stop dead in my tracks.
"Bonnie?" I ask meekly.
He turns around and walks towards me, hugging me tightly.
I can smell the blood off of him.
"What happened, pal?" I whisper.
"I'm.. sorry." Was all he could muster.
"Bonnie?! What happened?!" Keori sobs, clinging to Foxy, "Where is Acron!?!"
"Bonnie tell us!" Keeva exclaims. She hobbled out of the med-bay across the hall with help of Kip.
Bonnie let's me go and I stand with Illoha. I feel her hand wrap around my wrist. All eyes stare at Bonnie. Kip, Damien, Keori, Keeva, Illoha, Icey, Nova, Arie, Ophelia, Foxy, and me.
"He's gone... I'm sorry." Bonnie looks at his feet, "I'm sorry I couldn't save him."
Illoha squeezes my wrist lightly as a comfort.
His words hang in the air.
"I knew it." I whispered to myself. 'Jinx' I think, 'That's what you are, a curse. You kill everyone you love.'
"You could've!" Keori screams, "You could've saved him, but you didn't come back to the ship! He had to go find you! It's your fault he's dead!"
She goes to lunge at him but Foxy grabs her and hugs her as she sobs. We all stare in shock. I can hear faint crying which I assume is coming from Icey. I need to go. I need to get out of their view. I don't know how much longer I can last before I break. I need to think. Everything hurts. I can't...think...properly.
    I escape Illoha's grasp and leave the room. Where can I hide? As soon as I get upstairs I hide in the unused storage closet, the only things in there are unused decor. I sit down on the closet floor and let myself fall apart. I want to be alone. Not to bother anyone with my emotions, not to let anyone know I'm weak. I want to scream and kill all those damn animatronics. I hate them! I hate them! I hate them!
Why Acron?! The first person who believed in me! My best friend! The person who always had my back.
    I my silent sobs cloud my eyes, and against my better judgement, I fall asleep. I don't know for how long, but I wake up to the door opening revealing Jake standing in the doorway, and I, curled up like a child in the corner. It's dark, but I prefer it that way.
"Can I come in?" He asks.
"I'd rather not." I cough trying to hide my snuffed up voice.
"The time people need people, is when they're mourning." Jake sighs, "I also brought gifts."
"What for?" I sigh and he walks in.
"Your birthday was yesterday, but you didn't do anything to celebrate, so I brought you gifts." He smiles.
"What's there to celebrate?" I sniff.
"Lexi said you loved parties, especially for the kids while at the pizzeria, so..." he shoves the gifts towards me.
"Where did you get these?" I let out a small chuckle.
"Illoha told us it was your birthday, so most of the crew bought you this." He hands it to me.
It's a long and thin box.I open it to reveal dual blade swords. Both are brown and red. I'm speechless as I examine the sword. It came with holders too.
They look amazing.
I smile sadly at Jake, "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" He grins, "There's one more, but it was from Acron. I'll be outside looking at cameras if you wanna talk." He pushes another present towards me.
What is this?
I open the gift.
It's a bulletproof jacket.
He attached a note:

Dear Foxete,
    I bought you this because of how many times you get shot in a mission. I hope with this you'll finally be allowed to leave this ship and help Bonnie with the cooler tasks. I made the colors match my jacket so we're twins. (GlubGlub's idea) Have an amazing birthday, kid!
From your pal,
Acron

I laugh and let the last of my tears fall down my face.
Thank you, Acron.
I fold the note nicely and out it in the side pocket of the jacket. I hold the sword holsters and insert the swords into them, then I put on the jacket, carefully. I look in the mirror in the closet to make sure my face wasn't red, thankfully it wasn't. I walk out to talk to Jake.
I can't sit in the closet forever. I have a ship to run.

(1600 Words)