Day 5Cx4 - Welcome Home

"Wow, it's almost like how I left it!"

"They shut down my place!" Bonnie jumped up and ran to his boarded up area. He tore at the poster covering his portrait.

"No. No!" He started pulling at the shutter, seemingly forgetting about the mission.

You sigh and walk up to him. "D-did they destroy it?" He asked, looking at you with large, puppy dog eyes. You just shake your head. "No. I was there two days ago. It's still the same place."

"Really? C-can we go in? Please?" As tempting as it was to just go off on a 'side-quest' there were more important things at hand.

"Hmmmm." Maybe this was a good idea.

You recall yesterday that the DJ hung out near the entrance of the arcade. You glance back to the entrance. If that's where he was then it would be a problem. There's been no telling if he was a part of this 'corruption'.

And you didn't envision a scenario where you and Bonnie could take the DJ. Maybe with the other 4 members of the band plus Sun you'd have a chance.

"Let me check something."

Maybe there was another way in. You pull out the security map and look at it. Was there some other way to reach the security booth?

"(Y/N)? You there?" Bonnie asked awaiting a response. He poked your forehead.

Sure enough there was one connection, a maintenance back-entrance. It would only get you to the first floor but it also allows you to bypass the DJ.

"Alright, fine. We'll go, then enter the arcade from the back entrance. You know where that is?"

Bonnie jumped up, punching the air in excitement. "Of course! We can enter through the secret entrance!" He was practically exploding with excitement up and down.

With ease he lifted the shutters and beckoned you into his domain.

Walking in you realize now that instead of dealing with the DJ you would have to deal with the endos. You weren't sure what was worse. Flashbacks of the two endos that interrupting your game appear in your mind. It was crazy to think that was only two days ago.

"There's not much to see. From what Freddy told me earlier they kept the area the same. Just removed the branding."

"Oh, really?" Bonnie asked, disappointed.

"Yep."

Upon entering Bonnie's old area you give him a minute to reminisce. He roams around the area taking it all in. You weren't sure how he perceived everything but from the way he was acting you guessed he felt as if a lot of time had passed.

"Wow, it's almost like how I left it!" You hear Bonnie shout as he explores his former home.

The night was starting to wear on you, having been almost nonstop action. You decided to take 15.

Before resting you scan the area for endos. None were present.

You take a seat at a table near the ice cream parlour. Like the rest of the plex the lockdown had its own effects on it.

Previously coloured lights had changed to red, random lights were off or emitted a grey tone and some lights were fading in and out. It wasn't consistent. The swirling lights on the pillar beside showed red. The neon sign that proudly displayed "Ice Cream" was just off.

The only bot present was a single bot tending to the parlour, behind the counter. Upon closer look you notice that somehow they weren't affected.

Wait a minute.

You look again, making sure your eyes weren't decieving you. Sure enough there was a bot, dressed in a red apron with 2 pig tails. You wonder why this random bot would have been unaffected. The only thing that comes to your mind is that this place was too far from the initial signal.

Though if that was the case, you think maybe the arcade could have been exempt too. Either that or this bot was somehow immune.

Weary from the night's actions you walk up to the bot and request an energy drink. Much to your surprise it complies, plopping a Fazbear-themed "Supercharge Soda" and offering a 'good luck' to you. You weren't going to question it.

"I'm at peace....but he isn't." You hear something say. Did that come from the bot? You look at it, but it doesn't appear to have spoken. It just continues its nightly routines without giving you any attention. Did Bonnie say that?"

"Bonnie?"

"Yeah?" You hear him shout from somewhere. He was on some adventure of his won.

"You say something?"

"Nope!"

"Uh, okay, never mind." You weren't sure who or what said that. You look around, worried that bots or something worse was stalking you. You wait it a few seconds, appearing oblivious. If something was going to attack it would have.

You chug the soda, hoping the sugar in it will help you overcome the next obstacles and your mind hallucinating.

Back to thinking.

Regardless of entrance, you still need a plan to deal with the DJ if he was 'corrupted'. Thankfully there no endos around to interrupt your thoughts.

Without a shred of proof otherwise you assume the worst case scenario. The DJ is going to try and go after you. Well, Bonnie heard the 'horde' earlier, maybe he could hear the DJ?

"Bonnie! Come out here. I need to ask you something." You shout out.

Suddenly he jumped up from where the bowling alley was, landing on your floor. He somehow landed without impacting the ground. He even striked a pose as he landed.

"I gotta tell you. It's good to be back!" Bonnie loudly proclaimed.

"About your hearing. Could you hear what's going on in the arcade right now? How does it work?"

"Well I have 'super-hearing' as I call it. I can hear everything!!! aslongasitsnotdamp." Bonnie said.

"So do you think you could tell me what's going on in the arcade?"

"Hmm. Let. Me. See." He closed his eyes and his ears flicked. He was really in element here.

"I can hear...lots of music, and a lot of noise...and lots of distor..distortion?" He said the last part unsure. "I don't know what's going on there but it sounds like a party." His ears flick again. "And a lot of talking." Bonnie nodded. "Yeah. Sounds like a big party. A big birthday party!"

"Thanks, Bonnie."

"You're welcome. I'm gonna keep exploring now. OOooh. I wonder if they kept my stash!" Bonnie said jumping back to the bowling alley and ran off past it.

A party? It didn't help at all. That wasn't any proof the DJ was okay. And what did he mean by lots of talking? You shrug.

If there was going to be a fight the DJ was not going to go down by conventional means. Both the tazer and your golf club were out of the question.

Even super-charged you doubt it could do much damage. There was also the possibility of his gloves being immune to electrocution. It would be pointless to shock him.

On the other hand Bonnie was having the time of his life, re-discovering his 'old' home. He decided he had enough of the rest of the area and went to his stage. He climbed up onto his small stage and looked around, remarking at the good condition they had kept it in. He picked up and threw the 'Be Back Soon!' sign, proudly declaring that he was back. He disappeared behind the curtains.

There was also the matter of the security bots. While harmless on their own, them plus the DJ could spell trouble. You try to think logically.

The only possibility you could see was to just outrun him and get the reset activated. But the reset would be pointless until Gregory fixed the lockdown and network. There was also the possibility that the unaccounted animatronics were also present in the arcade, which just made things impossible.

Roxanne and Freddy. And Vanes-you slam the table in frustration. You were getting side-tracked. One over-powered robot at a time.

"Bonnie?" You ask. He head peers out from the curtains. "Yes?"

"Does the DJ have any weaknesses?"

"Hmmm....well he doesn't like bad music. There was this one time some kid tried singing to him and he ran off."

"Uh, thanks." Looks like it was outrunning him then, you think.

Maybe there was another way you could look at it. What about the bots?

The bots avoided the animatronics. Why? Did they recognize the animatronics and leave them alone? Was it some sort of signal they emitted that caused the bots to ignore them? Maybe something like how your lanyard and the map allowed the security bots and map bots to ignore you.

Some sort of trigger.

Content that his personal room hadn't been touched much Bonnie left his stage to explore the rest of the area. He wanted to know if his special bowling ball was still around. He hopped over the railing and into the bowling alley.

You didn't paying him any mind, trapped in your own thoughts.

That's it! If you could figure out the trigger then you could use it to become 'invisible' to them all. The idea quickly fades as there was simply no way to find that out now. None of the documentation you'd read up until this point mentioned it.

Maybe Bonnie has an idea. You look around. The purple bassist was nowhere to be found. Hoping he wasn't planning on scaring you again you get up and walk to the bowling alley. Hearing some rustling by the pins you look over. Bonnie was half in the machine, struggling to get something.

"You alright?" You call out, leaning over the railing.

Bonnie bumps his head on the machinery. "Y-yeah! Just trying to get something."

You let him continue. Eventually he pulls himself out, now holding a purple bowling ball with swirls.

"Look! They even kept my personal ball!" He shouted across the area. Happy that his prized possession was still around he came back to you, bowling ball in hand.

"Do you know of any way I could avoid getting seen by the bots?"

He stops to think for a second before his eyes light up. "I have an idea! Wait right there!"

He ran up, jumping over the railing and onto his stage. He went behind and started rummaging for something.

"A kid and I tried this out once and it worked." He said from behind the curtains. "Oh, where is it?"

While waiting you and Bonnie witness all of the lights flicker and return to normal. A robotic announcer loudly declared the lockdown to be over. Shortly after you got a text from Gregory informing you of the change. The lights across the area resume normality, the red and black glows changing back to their regular colours.

Gregory and Moon were successful! You started thinking of something you can do to thank them both after this is over.

You thank him and tell him to hang tight in your workshop, the key having been left inside. You were happy Gregory beat you to the goal, this would make the arcade part much easier.

"A-ha! I found it!" Bonnie shouted from behind the curtains. You wondered exactly what it was he had in mind. He peered out of the curtains, smile wide as could be. He was about to say something when he noticed the lights had returned to normal.

"Whoa! They did it! Gregory and Moon did it!" Bonnie exclaimed, eyes wide. "It's so...beautiful!"

Now Playing...

Artist: Batfinks

Song: And So

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zDu7JexxlE

"Yep, now then, you found it?"

Bonnie looks back inside then at you. "Yep. But close your eyes first."

"Why?"

"Just do it. Trust me."

"Fine. You better not scare me."

"I won't. Not yet. Hehe."

You close your eyes, fully expecting Bonnie to pull some prank. If he wasn't so charming you wouldn't have gone with it.

"Don't open them till I say so."

You wait. Bonnie emerges from the stage carrying something. You can tell he's approaching you as evident by the buzzing sound and him stomping in your direction.

You feel him place, or rather, drop something onto your head. It was soft but too big for your head.

"Alright, open your eyes!" Bonnie said, stepping back.

You open your eyes to see your vision reduced to two large holes for your eyes. Feeling around you determine it was a large cloth mask or head. The blue colour indicated it was a fake Bonnie head.

"You look so good!" Bonnie clapped happily.

You adjust it so you can see more properly. It was a bit oversized but otherwise working.

"So they can't see me when I wear this?"

"Nope! A kid tried it on last time and the bots thought the kid was me." You take it off and look it over.

Though the colour wasn't purple like Bonnie you didn't doubt his story. It would make sense that the 'trigger' was a visual one. Perhaps you could exploit this. Still wearing your toolbelt you put away the tazer and stash the golf club in one of the rings.

You figure to just hold the mask for now, put it on when you were seen.

"You think this will work with the DJ?"

Bonnie frowned. "Probably not. We tried it on Roxanne once and she could tell it wasn't me."

"Well, as long as it can fool some bots we should be good. We'll just try to avoid the DJ."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Your watch vibrates, a notification coming up that the network had been repaired.

On the off-chance that it would work you try calling the DJ.

Predictably, there was no response. Whatever.

Wait! The network was repaired. Maybe Chica had an idea. You dial her number.

No response. Maybe her battery had died? You decide to try calling Monty. It would be good to have another ally for this battle.

He picked up immediately, shouting into the device. He was running.

"(Y/N)! CAN'T TALK! IT WASN'T BO*SSHH*! I SAW THE STINKIN *SHHHRKKT*-" And Monty's feed promptly cut out. You guess the network was still booting up. Either way, it looked like you were going to do this on your own.

Before you get ready to depart you check your inventory. There was no way this was going to be an easy fight. Even with Bonnie you were expecting this to be challenging.

In the belt you had the golf club, two cans of soda, a wrench, a screwdriver and the extra battery. The battery was wired and connected to the tazer offering more damage. In your pocket was the aforementioned tazer, still rocking a good charge and your phone. You were carrying the oversized bonnie mask and the Fazwatch.

"Are you ready to go?" You ask Bonnie. He nods.

"No turning back now."

And with that the two of you leave and head for the arcade.

The next chapter will be called The Tower, pt. 1.