Rock and Roll like Nobody Knows

Through the Heart

A shriek echoed from above, something large hitting the ground with a rattling thud. The silhouette of a large bird wreathed on the ground. Its limbs flailing about to try and gain traction to the ground beneath it. A single claw grasped onto broken rebar, hoisting itself up onto its feet. Its head was cocked to the side, blacked-out eyes staring at the group. 

Freddy kept his place between it and the group, though it seemed to look through him. The claws curled, seeming to be thinking or waiting for further instructions. The head bobbed back before the beak opened, a loud static squawk piercing the air as it charged forward.

The group dispersed out of the way. The place seemed to come alive after that, abandoned and broken-down bots crawling from the depths. Some almost grabbing others and pulling them down with them. Gregory climbed to high ground, dogging rouge attacks from decommissioned map bots. It was a fight for your life now, and things were about to get not so kid friendly.

A metal screeching slid down the walls as a more busted-up Cody landed in the war zone. The bird, now being identified as a half-destroyed Rico, bounded toward the smaller reptile. Their movements dispersed, circling off the group. A grinding roar echoed down. Bounding downward from the pipes and supports above was a feline like body. It grasped onto the jagged pipe sticking from the ground, the arms bent back into a concerning form. The mane knotted and tangled, fabric torn, yet claws sharpened down to the metal casings beneath the plastic.

"What happened to them!?" A panicked Roxy voiced.

A loud bang sounded as a one horned goat rammed down a wall. Ace, his neck shredded, charged after Roxy. His size though was a downfall to his speed, unable to catch the wolf as she rounded a pole.

The deformed lion leapt toward Monty landing on his back. It took a few seconds before it was ripped off, tearing off a few scales in the process. The ambush came at full force, machines against machines. Gregory worked his way higher up, keeping space between him and a prowling crocodile. 

Gregory kept climbing, jumping across a platform to the other side. He ducked under wires and loose pipes, shuffling his through a crawl space. Eventually it opened up into a large room with a gaping hole in the floor. He could barely hear the fighting now, now realizing he had lost Cody. 

He went to turn back, only to doge a knife coming at him. He slid down an incline, getting closer to the hole. The permanent grin of Vanny's mask bore into his mind. A creak of metal echoed around him. An ominous glow seemed to fill the room.

Distorted coughs came from a tight hallway, the shadow of a figure limping came into view. It was old and rotten, the endoskeleton barely holding together. Gregory could make out human bones infused with it, the sight if which made him queasy. The thing was shorter than the animatronics he knew, but still taller than him. 

The walking corpse edged closer to him; the eyes lifeless yet still starring into his soul. Vanny shuffled in the background, making sure Gregory had nowhere to run. His back to the hole, his only option was to face them.

"You have nowhere to run Gregory." Vanny's voice seemed more sincere than last time.

The mask's smile seemed to widen more, the eyes glowing a hypnotic red. The corpse figure came closer, reaching out a claw to grab him. Gregory took another step back, his heel just over the edge. A rumble shook the ground, everyone froze for a moment as dust fell from the ceiling.

Taking his chance Gregory tried to run, only to yanked off his feet by the endoskeleton monster. The claws dug into his arm; a faint shriek echoed the room. The eyes of a murder stared right back at Gregory; he had been caught.