Chapter Text
Gregory liked to think of himself as brave. He wasn't being cocky, not really. He simply acknowledged the fact that surviving a night of being hunted by sentient machinery (and a homicidal maniac) was not for the faint of heart. Nor was making the conscious decision to live among the de-bugged robots once the dust had settled. But he had, and therefore he earned the right to think of himself as brave, thank you very much. That was Gregory's train of thought one night as he wrapped up a game of mini golf with none other than Monty himself.
"Hurricane hole-in-one, my ass," he'd grumbled, leaning against his golf club.
All the while the gator laughed, resting his hands on his hips as he watched the boy scowl at the ground. "Don't let Fazbear hear you talkin' like that."
"Yeah, sure," Gregory rolled his eyes. That was rich coming from Monty. He had a much fouler mouth despite his built-in language filter.
The gator ruffled the boy's hair, "Wanna give it another shot?"
"Naw," Gregory answered, though he allowed himself to lean into Monty's affection. "I'm done."
"Alright, kid," Monty gave a shrug and lined up another. For his part, Gregory left with a final wave, not bothering to turn around as he went.
Gregory hadn't had a destination in mind when he left, content to just wander the building and live in his thoughts. This was rare for him. Like any kid, the things he craved most were fun and excitement, and the Glamrocks seemed to understand that. They were perfect companions, never too tired or busy to indulge him on any given night. But every once in a while, Gregory wanted quiet— something much harder for the animatronics given their purpose was to entertain.
Thunder rumbled outside, followed by the steady drilling of rain on the glass ceiling of the atrium. Gregory shivered. The memory of soggy cardboard and damp streets sent a chill through him. At least he had a warm place to sleep now.
The further he walked, the harder the rain fell. Lightning flashed above him, followed by a peal of thunder that shook the building. Had he been any other kid the storm would have freaked him out. But he wasn't scared of a little rain. He was brave, after all.
Until the lights went out.
Gregory froze in his tracks as the constant whirr of the fluorescents deepened. The bulbs buzzed and flickered at first, then shut off and plunged the Pizzaplex into silence.
His pulse quickened. No. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. Gregory searched the darkness but couldn't see a thing. He was alone. The lights were out. And when the lights were out...
Naughty boy…
His breathing came in heavy. The darkness was closing in, suffocating him with uncertainty and, for the first time in months, fear. It occurred to Gregory to use his FazWatch. If he was lucky, maybe he could call Freddy. He raised his wrist and tapped the screen with shaky fingers. The watch lit up, but to Gregory's dread the wifi symbol had disappeared. The storm must have knocked out the network.
Another flash of lightning illuminated his surroundings for a handful of seconds. He was at the base of the stage in the main atrium, the same place where Freddy'd been dragged to Parts and Services. Memories from that night blinked into his vision. The stage elevator ride. Dark halls. The click of the charging station door.
Bells.
They all mixed in with the raging storm until Gregory couldn't separate past and present. He crouched low, tucking his knees to his chest. His cheeks were wet. The world spun. The sound of bells jingled in his head again.
"Starlight?"
Not his head, Gregory realized at the same moment he caught sight of glowing red eyes.
No.
“Leave me alone!” Gregory croaked. He clutched his head between his hands, tangling his fingers into the roots of his hair. He didn’t dare take his eyes off Moon.
To his credit, the animatronic didn’t come any closer. He hunched low as his programming dictated. This wasn’t his first time dealing with a frightened child. He knew standing at his full height would only make matters worse.
“Easy,” Moon held his hands up, palms out. He doubted Gregory could see much of him, but he assumed the gesture just in case. Moon’s HUD began analyzing the boy automatically. Signs of distress flashed warnings in his vision. He blinked them away. “I won’t hurt you.”
“Go away!” Gregory cried, curling into an even tighter ball.
Moon raised his hands again. “Alright, starlight. I’ll go.”
Gregory watched as the animatronic backed up, those bells at his wrists jingling in time with every step. He didn’t look away until the animatronic disappeared further into the Pizzaplex. The only remaining sound was the rain that drove against the roof.
The next thing Gregory knew, he was back in Freddy’s dressing room laying on the couch. The robotic bear was fussing over him an instant later. And while he assured Freddy that he was just fine, Gregory couldn’t keep his thoughts from wandering to the encounter he’d had in the storm.