LIMBO | (FNAF SB x OC)

"the arrival"

Gripping the smooth leather of the steering wheel calmed my nerves immensely, working in tandem with the low rumbling of my classic car. I swiftly pull into a parking space and put my vehicle in park, sighing deeply. After a moment to reflect on my poor life decisions, I really take the moment in my car to study the building.

The grime along the tiles outside of the building paired with the dull, worn paint and dated artwork of the beloved animatronics from who knows how long ago. However, as the mega mall themed around the Fazbear crew got taller, the exterior and interior of the building got more and more flashy. The annoying, glimmery tint along the windows paired with animated screens and welcome signs made me grit my teeth a little. Granted, I wasn't exactly paid to care about that. All I had to do was sit in a shitty office for six hours and make sure no one tries to rob the rich, gaudy "pizza plex".

...Whatever that means.

However, one thing that stood out was the fact that there were about four other cars that I could see from my seat, and for the fifth time already that night, my nose crinkled in confusion. I thought they limited their nighttime staff now that STAFF bots swarmed the inside, but maybe I won't be alone tonight.

I recall the words of my supervisor, a longtime friend lending me a favor.

"Grace, I'll be sure to tell the animatronics that you're coming– Just let me.." They trail off, sliding to the right and tapping their fingers against the keyboard loudly. I awkwardly drum my fingers against my thighs, thumbs brushing against my black skirt.

"...Okay! They have your file. Now they'll converse with you over, like... tackling you and breaking your ribs."

"Oh, wow." I blink incredulously, "That's.. so nice."

"HA. I know, but it's how it is. Comes with advanced tech and AI.. I'm sure you get it." I nod slowly, "...Yeah, ha. So, I need to pay rent.. pretty soon, you know that. Will the paycheck come by this Saturday?"

They look away from the computer screen and smile warmly towards me, "Friday. We get paid on Fridays." I sigh out of relief, sinking into the uncomfortable, stiff chair. For once in this office, decorated with retro carpet and framed posters of the glamorous Freddy and friends, I felt completely at ease.

"Show me the ropes, then. I'm so in."

Now, leaving my car and locking the door at 11:45PM, I wasn't exactly sure if I was as "in it" as I said I was. Regardless, I needed the money, so I should man up and forget about it. I can't help but think about when the establishment was.. Younger. Rumors aplenty spilled from the franchise like a fountain, and this would occupy my thoughts for a while, surely. How do they keep beating controversy like this?

As I reach the main entrance to the pizza plex, the neon lights painting my pale face in pinks and greens, I bump into something sturdy and warm which puts my thoughts completely on hold, "Oh, shit, sorry! Sorry." The guy flinched and whirled around quickly, pressing his back against the glass doors with a frightened expression. With a loud yelp, he shivers, likely from the cold and my startling presence.

"Oh, um.. It's, er, fine." He mumbles, glancing at the matching security guard uniform I've adorned, "You're.. working the night shift too?"

"Oh! Ha, yeah. Only for a little while though, hopefully. I figured I would have been the only one, though.." The guy shakes his head at my comment, and it's then I notice his puffy brown bangs, brushing along the tops of his eye lids. The majority of his hair was swept into a short, low ponytail, its rich color complimented by the matching greens of his eyes and scarf. All of this, his appearance, somehow made him befitting of his uniform. He honestly looked a little scrappy and scrawny to be a security guard, but looking up at him, I feel as if his physical capabilities weren't in play with his job position.

After wrangling with the front doors' keys, the glass door pops open, driving me out of my thoughts and meeting my colleague's gaze. "Um," He began, eyes flickering between me and the door before propping it open a little wider, "Right behind you."

"Oh! Thanks." Weird way to hold a door for a person, but I'm not one to judge. I walk through and wait for him to follow, pulling out my phone and checking it before we begin to walk together.

"It's 11:53. Has it actually been almost ten minutes?"

"Ha, well, I.. I guess so." He shrugs, "The shutter automatically closes at twelve, so it's good we got here when we did."

"Hey, speaking of.." I trail off momentarily, "Err, what's your name?"

"Oh! Am— Am I not wearing my nametag?! Sorry, sorry.." He glanced down towards the left of his chest and frowns a little before smiling up at me bashfully, "I'm Jeremy. Nice to meet you."

"You too! I'm Grace." I smile warmly to reassure him I didn't feel awkward. We got into a comfortable walking rhythm, but as we walked through Rockstar Row, I paused abruptly in my place. I felt a chill down my spine and a deep frown, turning my head over my shoulder and patting my pocket for my flashlight. When I clicked it on and flashed it behind me, nothing was there.

"Grace? Is everything okay?" Jeremy asked, peering towards me worriedly.

"Oh, sorry, yeah." I pocket the flashlight and rub the back of my neck, "I just... I dunno, I got a feeling we were being watched."

"That's.. probably just an animatronic. Have you not been this way before..?" I shook my head in response to the question. This place was so big and confusing, and Jeremy knew it, "Well, that's okay..! This is Rockstar Row. The main four animatronics have their own rooms to wind off and hang out with select guests. I... think. See? Roxy, Chica, Monty, and Freddy." He pointed to their respective doors and continued walking, and I would remain lagging behind slightly.

"Oh, shit. That's cool." I could hear Chica's faint strumming of her guitar, but something else caught my attention, "Why is Monty out of service?"

"Oh, I.. don't know, actually, I'm sorry." Jeremy trailed off for a moment before guessing, "Vanessa told us— She, uh, she's another guard on shift— She said Freddy had a really bad malfunction during their show, and Monty's... well, he's aggressive."

It's then I hear smashing and grunts softly echo from his room, overshadowing Chica's guitar playing. Jeremy noticeably grits his teeth but says nothing, and my brows furrow, "..Oh. Are they sentient? Why is he programmed like that?"

"...Well, uh, They— They have... I guess?" He clearly didn't have a clear answer, "I.. don't know. I'm not really, uh... paid to care."

"Huh. Okay, fair." I nod. That was a good line, one I'd probably steal someday.We fall back into a steady flow of conversation and pace, until finally, we're entering a security office on what I assume is the same floor. One man is present and he looks sickly pale, leaned back comfortably in a swivel chair with short, messy brown hair leaking from the edges of his cap and a casual manner of wearing his uniform. The receiver of a bright red rotary dial telephone sits between his cheek and shoulder, the dial resting on his lap. His dark eyes glazed over cameras on a screen, and I could see a messily pinned nametag.

"Mike. Mike!"

"Hm? Oh, Jeremy!" He smiles crookedly at the boy, extending his gaze to me, "And.. uh, new girl!"

"It's Grace."

"Grace! Welcome to the team. I'm Mike, I see you've met Jeremy, and the one on the other end of the phone is... uh, Phone Guy!" He tilts his head closer to the receiver, "...He says hello."

"Mike, where's Vanessa? Shift starts pretty soon."

"Oh, yeah. She went to talk to the main four. Something about a kid running loose? Fuck if I know. She told me to stay put and look at cams."

I frown deeply. My first night and there's already some sort of child stowaway. It seemed like my luck, so I believed it. That and Vanessa, just judging by her absence, probably takes her job seriously.

"Hey, Grace?" Mike offers the receiver to me, "He wants a word."

I nod silently and shuffle forward, taking the phone and pressing it to my ear, "Hello?""Ohh, hey!" A man on the other end of the line speaks, "I'm the Phone Guy."

"...I— I can tell."

"Glad you're smart enough to deduce that!" He laughs happily for no apparent reason, making me feel like I have to awkwardly laugh with him. I make eye contact with Mike, who just drums his fingers along the dial and shrugs at me.

"So, uh, can I do anything to help you, dude, or..?"

"Oh, no, I'm really here to help you. Due to my, uh, special circumstances, I have access to the cams and whatnot! I help you navigate, handle any animatronic issues that can be handled remotely, and figure out whatever you want me to! The rotary phone is for pizazz."

"..Ha. Right, pizazz." I echoed.

"Ask Mike for a staff Fazwatch. I can help you there since he's the only one lugging a rotary phone in the back of his utility belt." My nose crinkles with his words. That was possible?

"Okay." I tilt the phone away from my mouth, "Um, Mike? Can I have one of those.. staff watches, please? Phone guy said to ask."

He gasps softly, "Oh!! You didn't have one already?" Mike doesn't let me finish, "Well. You are super new, and we don't get people-staff as often as we used to. Uuuhh.." He slides back in his seat and opens a drawer, rummaging through it with no remorse. Eventually, an audible aha comes from within him and he's suddenly adjusting a digital watch with a touchscreen and Freddy ears on my wrist.

"I- Oh, oh, um. Thank you, Mike." He just nods in response, letting me continue, "Phone guy, I have my watch."

"Excellent! Mike put it on? Then he probably booted it up for you too. You can check cameras, notify other members on the security team, and do some more stuff with that!" There's a moment where he doesn't speak, and I hear the faint hum of "Phone Guy's" fan, "..Well, I'm done! Pass me over to Mike. Good luck on your first shift!"

I say my thanks and pass the phone back to Mike, who also said his goodbyes before hanging up with a sigh. He checks his own watch, "Oh, shit, it's twelve. Shift started."

"Already?" Jeremy comments. I almost forgot he was beside me with how quiet he was, "Vanessa still isn't here."

"Wrong." All three of our heads whip towards the left door, and a girl with piercing green eyes and a long, blonde ponytail is walking through, "Oh, you're the new girl, yes? I'm Vanessa." She sticks her hand out to me firmly.

"Grace. Nice to meet you!" I smile, shaking her hand two times before letting go. She also gives me the ghost of a smile. Maybe she appreciated my professional ass handshake?

"Likewise." With a confirming nod, Vanessa immediately jumps back to business. She worms past Mike and begins to fiddle with the computer cameras, glancing at the spread of feeds with a scowl.

Disturbed by her silence, Jeremy spoke first, "Um.. Mike said something about a kid, Vanessa?"

"Yeah. Little brown haired brat." She huffs, "The door's shutter has to be closed by now, so he's locked in with us. The animatronics are out looking for him too and are supposed to notify us."

"Woah," Mike stops her, "You sicked the animatronics on them? Monty and a possibly malfunctioning Freddy?"

"Moon will also be on the lookout when the power goes out every hour."

"..Vanessa. You know how Monty is, and Freddy's shit is.. well, probably fried somewhere!"

"He's a cheeky little goblin and the animatronics aren't gonna hurt a kid. He'll be fine. This place is too big for four people to search on their own. We need as many eyes as we can get, along with the security bots."

I was right. Vanessa was incredibly dedicated to her job. It was intimidating, really."...Well, uh, then do we.. go on our rounds now..? Split up and see what we find?"

"I was just about to suggest that, Jeremy." She nods firmly, "I'll be going alone. You three.. do whatever. Just split up and find the kid, I'll be looking at my watch." And just like that, she leaves through the left door as quickly as she came.

Mike lets out a low whistle, "Jesus. Now that something is actually happening for once, she's way more serious than usual."

"No kidding.." Jeremy fixes his cap and adjusts his small ponytail, "I.. We should listen to her, right?"

"I would." I chime in, mainly because I have a question though, "Um.. If she doesn't want us sticking together, where should I go?"

"Daycare." Mike answers quickly, "No other animatronics are really over there except for Sun, but he'll babble about glitter glue and call it a day. That and there's not even that many security bots, so.." He trails off, "Yeah, that works. Just keep the lights on. Need me to mark it on your map?"

Odd comment about the lights, but I shrug it off. That small detail was easy enough to remember, "Yes please."

"Ha!! C'mere, then." I hold out my wrist towards him, and he gingerly grabs my hand to yank the screen even closer to him. He hums and presses around before nodding to himself, "Kay, that'll do it. I also made it so that you're on the communal map."

"Couldn't Phone Guy have done that?"

"Nah. It's not really a detrimental feature, but it lets us help you with navigation, so I thought it would be smart to rock a group project type thing for now."

"Oh, I get it. Thanks." I look at my watch's screen and try my best to get a feel for which turns I have to make. When I'm comfortable enough, I smile towards Mike and Jeremy, "Thanks for everything, I'll be sure to keep you guys posted from my position."

"Don't be afraid to reach out to us...!"

"Yep!! We gotcha, Grace. You're on the team, like I said."

Right. The team, "I'm off, then. Wish me luck." And with that, my very first shift begins. I began to make my way to the daycare, hopeful that my first shift would pass smoothly.