FNiA: Project White Rabbit

Chapter 5: New Leaf

I watched in partial horror as Foxy marched into the main room. Even more so when she decided to turn back and drag me by the arm. The main room was completely lit up, other than the spotlights on the now-open stage, where the other three were evidently talking beforehand. Bonnie looked annoyed when she saw us, crossing her arms and staring daggers at me with her bright red eyes. Chica, the yellow girl, who wore jorts and my missing jacket over a crop top, looked a bit more apologetic. As for Freddy, who was clad in a short-sleeved button up and a skirt, she looked like a bomb with its fuse lit.

"Foxy what the hell are you doing?!" The bear yells as Foxy flings me into a nearby table. I was focused on trying not to fall to clearly see her face, not that I had to look to tell she was pissed.

"Meet 'n greet." Foxy says, seemingly unaffected by Freddy's outburst. "Besides, I think we all got off on the wrong foot, wouldn't you say lad?" The look on her face was threatening, and I couldn't utter much more than indecipherable stuttering. "See? He's harmless," the fox laughed, looking to the other girls.

Bonnie scoffed at the comment, causing all eyes to turn to her. "'Harmless'? He launched me out of the office!" I tried to shrink into the table, to no avail.

"Yeh, I saw. And ya flew beautifully, might I add." Bonnie's face grew red from the remark, which I didn't even know was possible. "Could have stuck the landin' better though."

"It still gives you no reason to bring him here, Foxy," Chica piped up. "We've done this several times, what makes him any different than the rest?"

"Nothin' really. But tha's beside the point." Foxy said, turning to me, "Don't think I caught yer name, lad." I sheepishly mutter my name, to Foxy's annoyance. "You mute or somethin'? I asked for ya name!"

"Zack! It's... I'm Zack." I looked away from them all. I knew what was happening, it was similar to how Jason introduced me to Carlos, apart from the looming possibility of getting murdered on the spot. So probably not like meeting Carlos at all, then.

"There, now everyone else's turn." Foxy looked over at the other three expectantly, yet it was easy to tell they didn't think this was a good idea. I didn't blame them. This was directly against what they've been apparantly doing for a while now.

Though, it almost surprised me how willing they were to go with Foxy's scheme. First was Chica, she quickly introduced herself, though by now I'd already guessed who she was. Then Bonnie introduced herself, her face still red from embarrassment, mumbling something along the lines of 'he was cuter when he didn't fight back.'

Then everyone's eyes turned to Freddy, even mine. She was visibly shaking, out of what I could only guess was frustration. We all waited in tense silence waiting on her to speak, but like all volcanoes, she exploded.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" she screamed. "THAT FUCKING LOSER RIGHT THERE ISN'T ANY BETTER THAN THE REST OF THEM! HAVE YOU GONE MAD? TELL ME, FOXY WHAT DID THAT LITTLE CUNT DO TO GET YOU ON HIS SIDE?!"

Somehow, we all must have known this was going to happen. Even I barely flinched. Heck, what she said barely even stung. I took a glance at Foxy, finding her eyes locked onto Freddy. She then gave a heavy sigh, and began to speak herself.

"Given any other circumstances, he'd be dead. But what he said to me got me thinkin-"

"Oh, yeah, he got you thinking something all right." Freddy interjected, rolling her eyes unapologetically.

"Cool yer tits and let me finish! He got me thinking we weren't doing this to keep her safe anymore." Foxy paused, taking a shaky breath. Freddy looked back at her, stunned, she opened her mouth to speak again, but Foxy continued over her.

"The kid is a lot like her, in how he defended himself. After I saw that happen, I couldn't kill him. Took me a second to see the pattern," She paused again, and Freddy didn't try to say anything, she merely looked away. "We used to be kind to them. You know that better than anyone, Freddy. You were always the closest to them. Then we started hurting people because of one fuck up. One mistake that nobody had made before it, or got the chance to make after. After a while it was just routine, or we just got carried away. Any way you look at it, we became as bad as the villains we pretend to fight. Give the kid one chance, and you'll see what I mean."

I glanced at each of them as we all sat in silence once again, the atmosphere somehow feeling different, though it was just as thick. Part of me wished they'd just off me and get it over with, but the looks of shame on the girls' faces told me it wasn't going to happen.

"Fine," the bear shakily said, again breaking the silence, "One chance. After that and he's done."

"Aye, cap'n." Foxy replied as Freddy started walking away, the sounds from her heels causing echoes in the silent room. And with each step, the atmosphere began to lighten up, the other two at the stage finally starting to chat after what felt like an eternity.

Foxy started chuckling a minute after, "Don't worry about her, lad. She'll calm down eventually. She's actually quite tha prankster when she's not uptight like that." It didn't really help calm me down.

I was still unsure of how I feel about what just happened. Foxy looked at me with a mischievous smirk, "Go an' talk with the other two, I need ta go do somethin'."

"Can't I just go back to the office?" I complained, internally surprised of how much easier it was to speak now that the situation was defused.

"Fine, I'll toss ya over there like you're cargo then."

Reluctantly, I stood up as the fox chuckled smugly. Shooting her a look, I slowly walked over to the other two. I was hoping they wouldn't notice me, but thanks to my luck Bonnie quickly perked up and hopped her way over to me mid-sentence, leaving Chica stunned.

She bluntly said, "So I guess you got your answer to your question, huh?" I gave her a confused look, I couldn't remember too much outside what happened so far tonight. "From earlier today? I'm surprised I didn't scare you off." I nodded, vaguely remembering a conversation she had with Jason. Actually, now that I thought about it, that should have been a huge red flag. I started wondering what'd happen if I didn't show up.

We stayed quiet again for a moment, before Bonnie spoke up again, this time in a much friendlier tone, "You... don't talk very much, do you?" She stared at me, seemingly looking for any signs of response. I looked away, trying to find my voice.

"I, well, it's hard to, sometimes." I half-mumbled. Especially after finding out I was moments from death. I thought to myself. I glanced at the bunny, who just smiled. I couldn't let myself trust them, not yet.

"So are we just gonna forget I exist, or can I talk too?" Chica suddenly piped up. I did, in fact, completely forget that she existed.

"O-oh, sorry. Did you want to talk to him? You can talk." Bonnie feverishly stammered. She tried to grab my arm to pull me closer to Chica, but I quickly pulled away.

"Nah, not really, I'm good, girl. Just wanted to see your reaction." Chica said with a giggle before hopping off the edge of the stage."Imma head to the arcade. Ciao!"

As Chica walked away, Bonnie mumbled, "Her and her obsession. I swear she'd rather live in the arcade than her own room."

"What do you mean?"

"Hm? Oh, she's just going try and beat the highscores of some of the popular games. She's constantly getting outdone on Pizza Rush Fever, and it's the same guy over and over, too." Bonnie sighed and shrugged, as if it had been happening for a while now. I vaguely remembered Carlos complaining about something similar to Jason during one of our outings, but I always assumed it to be the leader board resetting. I shrugged it off, it couldn't be that simple, right?

"So what did Foxy have to do that was so important that she dumped you here?" Bonnie said, interupting my thoughts.

I shrugged. "Had something to do, she said."

Bonnie's face deadpanned. "Really? What the hell does she need to do that's not some prank?"

A mischievous voice came from behind Bonnie. "Well, I s'pose you'd like to join us, then, Bonnet."