The Miss and The Music: A Marionette X story

Shutting down

•Janus's P.O.V.•

I walked to the pizzeria, humming Jenny loudly. Katie wasn't going to make it today, so it was just me and my friends. The door was unlocked as usual, so I stepped inside, smiling. I waved to everyone as I walked down the hall, opening the parts/service room door before walking to my office. The bell rang and I sat down, knocking the phone off the ringer as the call came through.

Hello? Hello...uh...what on earth are you doing there, uh didn't you get the memo, uh, the place is closed down, uh, at least for a while. Someone used one of the suits. We had a spare in the back, a yellow one, someone used it...now none of them are acting right. Listen j-just finish your shift it's safer than trying to leave in the middle of the night. Uh we have one more event scheduled for tomorrow, a birthday. You'll be on day shift, wear your uniform, stay close to the animatronics, make sure they don't hurt anyone okay, uh for now just make it through the night, uh when the place eventually opens again I'll probably take the night shift myself. Okay, good night and good luck.

"What?" I whispered, shocked. I didn't even bother to wait, I just ran out into the party room, only to be met by someone's hand closing over my mouth. I held my breath, trying not to scream as I recognized Mars's leather glove.

"Be as quiet as possible." He whispered in my ear. "Someone's here. We can't find them. I'm taking you to kids cove, okay?"

I nodded, following behind him as we walked to the cove. Mangle and BB were inside, crouching in the corner that was out of sight from the door. I sat next to them, hugging Mangle tightly. She was shaking.

"What happened guys? I just got a phone call saying they closed the place down."

"We heard right before the hours ended. Today was our last day." Mars sighed. "Everyone's getting scrapped and they're tearing the building down."

"No." I felt a year slip down my cheek. "This can't be happening."

"It is." Mangle choked on a sob. "We're dead already and we didn't even know it."

"Shh." I held her tighter. "Mars, who's in the building?"

"We don't know." He shook his head. "All we heard was someone here around nine. Everyone guessed that it wasn't the kids, and they're still asleep, or else they would have come out to join us. So something really weird is going on here."

"BB, is there any way you can get into my office and get the tablet?"

"Not a problem." He nodded quickly, returning to his animatronic form before walking back over to the door. He peered out, looking around for a few seconds before bolting to the vent in the game area. He was quiet about it thank god, and I looked out the window to see the animatronics on stage looking antsy. They knew something was up too.

"Mars, what if it's Vincent?" I bit my bottom lip, shaking.

"If it's Vincent, then I'm not letting him get away." He sighed. "That man is obviously the one who killed the kids. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have ran."

"I think he's right." Mangle chimed in. "If he wasn't guilty he wouldn't have just disappeared the day we found them."

I nodded, letting out a breath as BB returned from his vent adventures. He was carrying the tablet with him, and he raised it above his head triumphantly. We let him back in the room, and he shoved it in my hands instantly.

I flipped through the the cameras, making sure to analyze each one carefully. Obviously, it was us in kids cove, and prize corner was empty. No one was in the game corner either. Main stage was just the toys. Both of the vents were empty too, along with the party rooms. But to my horror, I flipped to the hallway, spotting a small figure out in the hall, wearing a yellow dress and crying. I could see her mouthing out my name, I didn't need the headphones. But there was someone moving in the doorway behind her.

"Shit!" I dropped the tablet, kicking open the door and making a break for it. I turned the corner to see the girl in the hallway, bawling her eyes out and calling my name. "Chica!"

"Janus!" Her head snapped up. "Janus, run!"

I leaned down, scooping up the girl and doing my best to gently toss her out of the way. I felt someone grab my hair, pulling me back against them as something sharp was held to my throat. It was a knife, of all things. I would have screamed, but everyone was already standing in front of me, their eyes wide. Chica thrashed in Toy Chica's arms, trying to get to me. Mars was in his hybrid form, black smoke surrounding his feet and legs.

"Put the knife down right now Vincent!" He shouted, enraged.

"Step back, or her throat gets cut wide open." I felt him chuckle behind me, lifting me up further. "I know who you all are, you're those damned animatronics."

"You're damn right we are!" Toy Freddy stepped forward, a snarl on his lips. "Let her go Vincent!"

"Or what? You'll sing me to death?" He laughed, his tone maniacal. This man was insane.

Suddenly he was screaming, and I was free to move. I ran forward, falling into Mars's arms, crying loudly. He held me tight, and I looked back to see Mangle attacking the man, scratching at his face within her hands. But suddenly she leapt off of him, and I saw three figures standing around him. Freddy and Bonnie grabbed his arms while Foxy took his feet. They didn't look like the same children we knew and loved. I saw as Chica jumped out of Toy Chica's arms, grabbing the knife from the floor as they dragged a screaming Vincent into the back room. She looked back at me with a wink.

"It'll all be okay now."

She closed the door behind them, and we all listened as the mans screams were cut off suddenly. My guess was that they cut his throat, just like he'd done to them. Mangle stood up suddenly, back in her human form, shaking her head to clear it.

"How did you get behind him?" I asked.

"I took BB's vent to your office. He didn't realize the boys weren't the only ones that knew how to use them."

I walked forward to her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you."