Co-Workers

>It's been a year
>a year of fighting for your life against an enemy you can't beat in a situation you don't understand
>Well...that last part is becoming less true by the day
>You've followed clues and done research and you think you've gotten the gist of the situation: the murder trapped some spirits in these awful-looking robots, and now they're out for revenge
>Also their programming adds an extra layer of murder to their tendencies
>But, you've come to understand, that the kids are more of a subconscious level there. Whatever is driving these bots is a new set of personalities born of those two elements.
>And in spite of a YEAR of complaining to the higher ups you can neither get a raise, nor can you get them to take you seriously
>At least you got a Casual Friday, right? Totally worth almost getting killed for a year
>You could leave, but you want to try to help them. You NEED to help these poor kids...or what's left of them
>So as you settle in for tonight's shift, you managed to bring some things with you
>Namely some clothes that are easier to move in, and yet another plan to try and reach them
>Everyone seems to be in place...that is to say wandering around semi-aimlessly and slowly meandering their way towards your office to murder/suit you
>Hours go by with basically nothing happening. And that worries you more than a lifeless stare through a doorway
>Ears straining to hear footsteps, you do a complete sweep of the restaurant
>Oh god, where's Bonnie!
>A purple hand closing over your mouth is your answer
>The other one spins you around in your chair, before clamping down on your shoulder
>Your life flashes before your eyes,..as they lock with the animatronic gaze
>And you just sit there, tensed and waiting for the end that never comes
>Nearly a minute passes by like this, and as your fear slowly gets mixed with confusing the hand on your shoulder moves to its mouth, making a distinct "Shh" gesture
>Slowly, way too slowly, it backs away
>It closes the door behind it and just waits, looking past you...to the other door
>It's not seriously asking you to shut your only means of escape, are you?
>The lengthy stare-down that follows seems like a solid "yes"
>Your instincts screaming at you the whole time, you slowly get up, back up towards the door
>and lock yourself in this small room with one of the things that's been trying to kill you
>Your heart is hammering in your chest, and your shirt is soaked through with cold sweat
>Your body is tense, ready to open the door, scramble under it, and run for your life
>So when it grips its own head with both hands you're a little confused
>You watch as one moves a little further back, as if searching for something
>there's a series of clicks, and the sound of something metallic sliding against something else made of metal
>And then its head pops off
>Like it just removed a helmet, the animatronic's mascot head comes clean off and exposes the endoskeleton beneath
>A very distinct, coppery smell starts to fill the cramped quarters, and you notice patches of what you hope are rust here and there
>When it catches you staring, it stares back, and you can't help but feel like YOU are the one in the wrong for it
>Carefully, it places the bunny head on the counter, positioned so that now you have it and the endoskeleton staring at you
>It grips its chest, around the "collar", before another set of clicks and whirring alerts you to it opening up
>the entire chest folds forwards, and afterwards both arms similarly open at the bottom
>more "rust" covers both the inside of the suit and the endoskeleton around the joints, as if someone tried to clean but couldn't get quite everywhere
>the back falls away, as the endo skeleton removes the remainder of the suit like one would step out of a pair of stiff slacks
>and like that the body unceremoniously collapses behind the endoskeleton that once supported it
>Now you're locked in this room with a naked endoskeleton, the cloying scent of something you don't want to consciously acknowledge, and more tension than you thought possible
>It repeats the "ssh" gesture with its thin fingers, before picking up the head and moving to your desk
>or rather moving UNDER your desk
>It places the head at one end of the cavity, then rests its own head on it in as relaxed of a pose as a machine can take
>And that's it. No screeching, no horrible claws grasping at your skin, just you and Bonnie's endoskeleton
>The next hour is spent with the endoskeleton relaxing and you slowly inching back to your chair, while constantly checking the cameras
>eventually you had to open the doors to save power
>and the fact that nobody else visited that night only added to the strangeness of things
>but eventually you managed to reach a the understanding of a truce
>albeit one where you don't get within a meter of the murderbot or let your eye off of it for more than a couple of seconds
>At around 5am it starts to get back up, carefully handling its head as it slowly gets back into the suit it had pointedly climbed out of earlier
>with one last look at you, the mascot head goes back on with a much-quicker series of clicks heavy metallic noise
>it flexes its limbs, before promptly turning and exiting through the door it had entered through
>And you were alone, thinking that maybe...just maybe you managed to reach through to the-
>A heavy knock breaks you out of your reverie for a moment and makes you nearly jump out of your skin
>You see Bonnie again, staring through the doorway
>It's holding something
>An empty Freddy head
>Pointing between you and the head, you think you get the message
>'Don't get used to it. Back to the usual, tomorrow'? you ask
>it nods before returning to the stage
>You check the clock
>Saturday, 6am