𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 '𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕖𝕟

You only had a split-second to catch your breath after climbing through the vent before Gregory was grabbing you by the arm and yanking you up against the nearest wall. "Shh," he hissed, tugging you down until you were at eye level – which was pretty far considering he was only as tall as your hip.

You opened your mouth to reply but instantly snapped it back shut when he pointed at something over your shoulder. Turning cautiously, you watched the figure of a white rabbit dance around the corner brandishing a long steel knife in one hand.

Oh.

"That's Vanny," Gregory whispered, letting go of your arm. You peeled yourself off of the wall and looked both ways down the room. Thankfully, you didn't see anyone else lingering around.

"How do you know that?" you asked quietly, bending over to put the vent cover back on. If Vanessa came back this way, you didn't want to make it obvious that you weren't where you were supposed to be. 

Gregory watched impatiently as you you worked, occasionally fiddling with the blocky device strapped to his wrist. "She talks to me," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "Through my watch."

Standing up, you squinted down at Gregory's arm where a bright orange Faz-Watch was occasionally blinking. He didn't have one of those when you first ran into him and they were practically impossible to get without assistance. Especially after hours.

If there was a stab-happy psycho bunny on the loose, you didn't think it was a great idea for him to wear something that let it talk to him. Especially not something that was so easily traceable.

"Can I...see that?" You asked hesitantly, not keen on raising your voice at the risk of attracting Vanny or any of the other creatures that were currently after you. Gregory blinked before removing the watch and holding it up to you. You thanked him with a nod before waltzing over to the decorative fountain at the center of the room and dropping it into the shallow blue water.

The screen of the Faz-Watch fizzled out before dying completely. Gregory gaped at you but you pretended not to notice. "No more talking to bunnies. We need to find Freddy."

It felt strange wandering around the Plex in just your socks. You don't think you've ever walked the entryway without a pair of wheels strapped to your feet. You would have gone back to get your other shoes if Gregory hadn't been with you. You'd have to do a lot of things different now that you had to keep him safe.

Your earpiece had been damaged in your scuffle with Vanessa. One of the ears now hung limply over your face and the other twitched every so often. Unless you manually held up the limp ear like a television antenna, all you heard was static.

You tried not to look too excited when you finally caught the echo of a signal from an earlier message. Freddy must've sent it while you were trapped.

"Roxy...come...Roxy Raceway...I'm...waiting..."

Gregory tugged on the hem of your skirt, standing on his tiptoes to listen in on the message. "What did Freddy say?" he asked anxiously, bouncing on the heels of his sneakers. You could tell he was getting antsy about being out in the open, especially after being locked in the lost and found for who knows how long.

"Umm...Freddy says hi," you lied, praying that you were even slightly convincing. "He's going to meet us at Roxy Raceway in a few minutes."

Gregory nodded, conjuring a quick hopeful smile as both of you turned to make your way into the main atrium. At one point, you reached down to offer him your hand. He looked at it before shooting you an unimpressed look. "What are you doing?"

"Holding your hand..? So you don't...get lost?"

He said nothing and you dropped your hand awkwardly back down to your side. "Right. Stupid idea."