Chapter Text
This was stupid.
Everything about this night was stupid, Gregory decided.
All he had wanted was some food, and a warm place to sleep. Was that too much to ask? And what he got instead was a mall full of robots and masked murderers coming to kill him.
One of which was chasing him right now.
"Shit." Gregory cursed under his breath.
He could hear the echoes of the rabbit cooing at him from down the hall. Asking him to come and play. Like that's gonna encourage me. Gregory rolled his eyes.
He was keeping a steady pace in front of the rabbit, enough where she couldn't see or hear him but slow enough where he could save stamina in case he did need to run.
He turned another corner and was met with a dead end. Gregory inhaled sharply.
The static in his ears grew louder and glitching began to cloud his vision. ShitShitShitShit-
"Are you having fun yet?" The voice was so close behind him he almost jumped a foot in the air. He needed to find a place to hide now.
He frantically looked around as the bunny's footsteps grew closer and closer.
Then he spotted it. A ballpit. Although very out of place in this room, it was a hiding place, and Gregory wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
He tried to make his footsteps as quiet as possible as he scrambled to the ballpit, begging the universe for the rabbit to be clueless when it reaches the room. And he finally reached it. He lifted one leg to step into the ballpit but hesitated for only half a second.
The ballpit was dirty. Like it was weird how nasty it was. Every individual ball was covered in a thick layer of grime, and it created the illusion that the ballpit was bottomless, it looking like the only thing under the surface was inky blackness.
But Gregory went in anyway. He wasn't about to be picky.
He climbed inside the ballpit, the balls shifting as he shoved himself deeper into the pit, he used a free arm to cover himself with balls from the top, then retracted his arm and curled up as little as he could go. He stopped moving as soon as possible so the balls would stop squeaking, then strained his ears to hear where the bunny was.
But it was quiet.
In fact, he couldn't even hear the static anymore.
Maybe it left? Saw he wasn't there and turned around?
Then he heard another noise.
It was faint, but it sounded like crying.
What?
Don't tell me there's another kid in here. Please God. Gregory begged. Having to look out for another kid would be so stressful, and he would feel so guilty if they died-
Wait a sec.
The crying was growing louder, like way louder. Instead of it sounding like the pizzaplex had super thin walls, it sounded like it was right next to him.
Oh my god, is the kid leading the rabbit to me?!
He almost popped out to tell the kid to haul ass and get in this damn ball put, but hesitated. Should he really sabotage himself to maybe save another kid in time?
Wait, what am I thinking? Gregory shook his head. Of course I should help this kid. I would be pissed if I was about to die and someone who had to power to help me, didn't.
Gregory swiftly popped his head out of the ballpit, frantically looking around for this kid to grab their arm and pull them into the pit with him, but what he saw stopped him in his tracks.
What the fuck.
He wasn't even in the pizzaplex anymore, it seemed like. As all the lights were on bright, there were people everywhere, some kids in crowds some in the small arcade to the left, and some adults lingering nearby, chatting.
The walls were a dull gray, with ugly stripes, and tables were set with party hats and confetti littering the tables surface. The carpet was retro and colorful, and reminded him of the 80s themed carpet he'd seen in the pizzaplex. But what really caught his attention was the large brown stage in the center.
The stage had colorful lights circling the rim, with streamers decorating the top. Some balloons were floating nearby the stage, and there was a crowd of kids in front trying to get a good look of what was on stage.
Which was a yellow bear and bunny animatronic.
The bear was a dull gold, more brown than gold actually, it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. And it had a purple bowtie with a plaid pattern. The same pattern didn't carry over to the purple top hat though, as it was just solid purple.
The bear had a very round belly, and a super huge jaw. It had tiny eyes and was holding a purple microphone.
The bunny was also a brownish gold, also looking musty. But instead of a purple bowtie, it was rocking a purple vest with a star pattern. It had a cloth nose and thick eyelids drooping down over its silver eyes, and tons of square teeth littering it's maw.
What? Gregory looked around. Where am I?
He suddenly tuned in to hear crying. Now actually right next to him.
The culprit was a kid, and he was curled up against the wall the ballpit was up against. He had his head hidden in his arms, and his knees were pulled up to his chest. In one hand loosely hung a plushie bear that looked very similar to the one on stage in front of him.
He didn't seem to notice him.
"Hey kid." Gregory tried to grab his attention.
The kid flinched and lifted his head from his arms to find the owner of the voice. He had tear tracks running down his face, and at closer inspection, Gregory could see his shoulders were shaking.
He couldn't help but wonder what upset him so much.
The kid finally looked to his right and noticed Gregory. He quickly wiped at his eyes and uncurled from his position on the wall.
He had dirty brown hair which was messily slicked back, Gregory noted, some strands were fallen in his face and his hair overall looked overgrown. He wore a dark gray T-Shirt with two white stripes going horizontally across his chest. He had a light gray long sleeve shirt underneath his T-shirt, he wore blue denim shorts and some fancy looking dress shoes.
He also noted the kids dark eyebags.
I guess I have his attention. Gregory thought.
"Hey, um, do you have any idea where we are?" Gregory asked. He already felt like he knew the answer but decided to test his luck.
The kid looked incredibly confused at his question, and sniffled. "Were at Fredbears."
He wiped at his eyes. "My dad owns the place. He forces us to come here, even when I beg him to let me stay home, He always insists I come."
Gregory took note of how the kid had a British accent, something he didn't notice before.
Hopefully I didn't teleport to Britain or something. Gregory thought. That would be a nightmare.
The kid continued speaking. "He says I'm too young to be home alone. He rolled his eyes. "Even though he's perfectly fine with leaving us alone with those monsters." He points to the bots on stage with his thumb. The way he worded it, Gregory assumes he doesn't like those robots too much. Not that Gregory blames him, they look pretty lame. Nowhere near as fluid and easy on the eyes as the glamrocks.
Which he is still thinking about, by the way. He's still confused about why he's suddenly in this random pizzeria, and considering the natural light streaming through the window by the entrance, during the day too.
This is all so confusing.
Hopefully he didn't time travel or something.
The kid didn't notice his stupor, and kept talking. "Heh, sorry, you probably didn't want me to tell you my whole life story."
He stood up and walked closer to the ballpit, then reached his hand out in front of Gregory. For a handshake or to help him out of the pit, Gregory didn't know.
"My names Evan."
Okay introductions. Gregory noted. So probably a handshake. Gregory took Evans hand and stepped out of the ballpit himself, then shook their hands.
"I'm Gregory."
The kid smiled, then looked confused again. "Why did you ask where we were?" The kid let go of his hand, instead favoring putting his hand in the pocket of his shorts. "Didn't you come in?"
Gregory panicked. He didn't know if it was a good idea to tell this stranger how he never entered the building, and just suddenly teleported to this random pizzeria after entering a ballpit. And compared to the one he was just in, a very outdated one too.
Luckily, he didn't have to, as two kids around his age showed up.
"Evan, there you are!" The girl yelled. Running up to Evan. She had golden blonde hair and wore a pink button down, which was tucked into a blue skirt. She also wore long white socks and black flats. She also had a british accent it seemed.
The other kid was a bit older, he had brown hair, basically the exact same shade as Evans, which was styled in a middle part. He had a kindof mullet, and wore some kind of gray shirt under a red zip hoodie. He wore blue shorts (that were more purple than blue, in Gregorys opinion) and striped socks, along with red converse.
The boy had a tanner complexion than Evan and the girl, but nowhere near as dark as Gregorys own skin. More sun-kissed than anything. He just goes outside alot, Gregory assumes.
"How many times do we have to tell you not to run off as soon as those stupid robots come on stage?" The older boy chided. "Those things cant hurt you. I doubt they can even walk. Theyre barely hanging on as it is." He gestured to the two golden robots on stage.
Evan avoided eye contact with the other boy, instead choosing to look at the colorful carpet. "I know... it's just, my nightmares have been getting worse." He lifted his head just enough to glare at the boy without him seeing. "Ever since you locked me in that closet."
The older boy sighed. Apparently this was a usual occurrence. "Evan, you can't keep letting nightmares scare you." He said. "You're way too old to be getting freaked out by bad dreams. You're like 11 now."
The older boy didn't give Evan a chance to respond, instead turning his attention to Gregory, who he finally seemed to notice.
"Who's your friend?" He asked.
Evan seemed to perk up at the idea of introducing him. "Oh! This is Gregory." He gestured to the boy in question with his hands, grabbing the attention of both the boy and the girl. Gregory gave an awkward wave, not liking the attention.
"Hello! I'm Elizabeth Afton, but you can call me Lizzie." The girl smiled, she stepped up to him and offered a hand up to him, as he was taller. He took it and she shook their hands.
Why does Gregory feel like he knows that name from somewhere? He strains his brain, trying to remember, but comes back blank.
It's probably nothing.
Lizzie had let go of his hand at some point, and kept speaking.
"Me and Mike are Evans siblings!" she said, and the older boy gave her a glare.
"I can introduce myself, Liz." He said. "But yeah, like she said, I'm Mike, or Michael Afton I guess, and this is Evan Afton, as you've probably realized by now." Mike offered his hand, and Gregory took his as well, Mike shook it then quickly let go.
Okay yeah, he's definitely heard the name Evan Afton before. But where? Gregorys mind supplied. He tried thinking of where he'd heard the name and finally remembered that he'd seen it on a newspaper. One he'd used for a blanket the other day. He remembered the date and name, but not the subject of the paper. The paper said something about June of 1983. How he'd remembered the date of the newspaper but not what it was about annoyed him.
But the fact that Evan Afton and 1983 went together was not good. He prayed to god that he didnt time travel, because that would just be too much alongside everything else that has happened.
He was knocked out of his thoughts by Mike, he snapped his fingers in front of his face, trying to get his attention. "Uh, Dude? You okay?"
Gregory shook his head and smiled nervously, anxiety burning his stomach at the thought of time travel. The rational side of his brain told him that there's zero way he actually time traveled, that was just childish, but he decided he needed to make sure.
"Uh, yeah im fine." He said quickly. "Um, super weird question, but, what year is it?"
Mike looked at him like he was crazy, and didn't respond. Evan stepped closer to his peripherals and looked at him concernedly. "Um, it's 1983." He said "Are you sure you didn't hit your head before you got into the ballpit? You asked me where we were as well."
It's 1983.
Gregory felt like fainting right then and there.
"Um, wow! It's 1983! Uh, cool, cool, coolcoolcool." He stammered. He felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple and his hands became clammy. He wiped them on his camo shorts. Gregory knew he sounded sounded a crazy person right now, but he didnt care. He just learned that he had time traveled for God's sake.
Mike looked less concerned for his well being and more freaked out about how he's acting. Gregory couldnt blame him. "Uh, dude, you okay? You're kindof freaking about about learning the year. " He said. "Are you a time traveler or something?" He looked to his siblings, obviously meaning it as a joke, but to Gregory it was like he had caught him red handed.
Gregory mulled over wether or not he should tell the truth. On one hand, this Mike guy already called it, and what can some random pre-teen actually do about this. On the other hand, Gregorys experiences on the street made him weary to give information out so freely.
Ah, fuck it. Gregory thought. If I really did time travel, I'll probably never see this guy again once I leave. The rational part of his brain supplied, but the normal half of his brain, or the Gregory half, just didn't give a fuck about what this kid could do.
So he decided to tell them.
"Would you believe me if I said yes?"
They all just stared at him.
Mike shook himself out of his trance, then walked up to Gregory.
"What was your name again? Grant? George?"
Gregory was confused at this reaction, he thought there would be a lot more freaking out and denying, or something, but instead he just asks for his name for the second time just to get it wrong? twice?
Gregory grit his teeth.
"Gregory." He said.
"Yeah, Gregory. Cool" Mike said.
"Now could you please explain to us why you think you're a time traveler?"
Gregory stiffened. "I don't think I'm a time traveler, I know. and I know because one second im in 2033 hiding from a murderer in a rabbit suit, then the next second I'm here in 1983 .
All three of the kids looked shocked at that information, either because they believe his story, or because they're shocked at how he came up with this absurd story about a time traveling ballpit and a bunny murderer.
Probably the latter.
Mike suddenly moved, stepping closer to Gregory and the ballpit.
"Gregory, I need you to move so I can go in that ballpit." He said.
Gregory immediately stiffened, standing up straighter and using his arms to block the ballpit off from Mike. "What!? No way!" He yelled.
Some adults glanced their way, but payed no mind. Probably just assuming that he and Mike are play fighting or something.
"I just said that there's a rabbit murderer on the other side of that ballpit, why would you want to go where that is?"
Mike backed off a bit, but Gregory didn't change his defensive position. Like hell he's gonna let this random teenager die just because he told him he's a time traveler. The memory would be burned in his brain for the rest of his life.
"I'm not wanting to go in the ballpit to time travel, " Mike said, moving ever so slightly closer.
"Im wanting to go in the ballpit to prove that you're a liar."
Gregory grit his teeth. Of course he didn't believe him, why on earth would he ever believe him, this random kid, that hes a time traveler, and something so obscene as the ballpit being the time machine.
So stupid.
"You've got to believe me!" Gregory exclaimed. He was confused over his desperate need for these random kids to believe him, normally he wouldnt care, but for some reason, there was something in the back of his mind. A presence whispering in his ear, and somehow, he knew these kids were important.
"I know it sounds crazy, trust me, I am with you on that." He let out a laugh at the end of that sentence, not believing it himself. "But I'm telling the truth. Please, let me explain everything."
Mike looked taken aback at his behavior, he was obviously expecting him to admit that he was lying, Mike would laugh at his victory, and they would all go on their merry way, but that wasn't the case. Gregory was being serious, dead serious, he wasnt messing around, genuinely. And for some reason, something shifted in mikes eye, something Gregory couldnt place. His smug look was wiped off his face with whatever emotion he was feeling.
It kinda freaked Gregory out.
Evan spoke up, and Gregory admits that he jumped. He honestly forgot that the other two were here for a second.
"I.. believe him." He said, and he offered Gregory a smile, which Gregory gladly returned, as if saying thank you with no words, and it seemed Evan got the message. Gregory was glad that someone is on his side.
"Me too!" Lizzie said, Stepping further into the group. "Most kids would of definitely caved by now. Theyre usually scared of Mike." She said. Lizzies eyes weren't looking at Gregory, but rather up. It seemed like she was remembering a specific event.
"But not you!" She said. smiling. She was looking at him now. "You must be tough!"
"Okay," Mike suddenly says.
His expression is very different from when Gregory last paid attention to it, he looked, different, like, haunted. And confused. Like not even he knew why he was agreeing to this, and whatever emotion was clouding his eyes, that's probably a factor too.
"I- We'll hear you out." He said, making direct eye contact with Gregory, like he wanted wanted make sure that Gregory understood that he was being serious, just like him.
"Okay." Gregory said. "I'll explain everything." And he would, starting from the beginning of that night. He took a glance around and took note of all the people, kids and adults alike, lingering nearby, and suddenly he didn't feel so comfortable talking about this in public.
"But we need to go somewhere more private." He said. Lowering his voice to almost a whisper. He wasnt messing around about this. He's about to talk about the worst night of his life, and there's no telling what any adults who are listening might do if they overhear how Gregory was inside a pizzeria after hours. God knows all he needs is for the cops to be called on him, and for him to be hauled back to the orphanage because he wasnt careful.
Focus Gregory. He reminded himself.. That's a nightmare scenario. Worst case.
The siblings seemed to agree with him, although not knowing the full story yet. They nodded and began to think of places they could go.
"Let's just go to our house." Mike said. "Father won't be home for a while, and it's about time for us to leave anyway." He glanced around the room and Gregory followed his gaze to figure out what he was looking for, before he saw the purple wall clock on the wall.
Jeez. Gregory thought. Whoever made this place is obsessed with purple.
"Its almost 6:30." He said, turning towards the door. He looked back and waved at his siblings and Gregory, gesturing to follow him. "Come on, let's go."
Gregory shared a quick glance with each of the siblings, then the 3 of them followed behind Mike. Gregory spared one last glance at the ballpit, before turning back to his new friends.
"You guys are in for one hell of a ride."