Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Click. Click. Click. Scully’s heels made a click each time she stepped down the tiled steps to the basement. The X-files office was stuck in the dingy basement of the building. Other departments got high rise, full length windows, and nice oak tables. But certainly not the X-files. Hell, they were lucky to even get an office in the building. Sure it was stuffy in the summer, freezing in the winter, dusty, dark, and there was a leak in the ceiling. But that’s what you get when you and your partner are the FBI’s most unwanted.

As Scully opened the creaky office door, she immediately saw her partner, Agent Mulder. He was wearing a fugly brown necktie and leaning against his desk, remote in hand. He had hooked up the projector. His head turned to face Scully as she walked in.

“Hey, Mulder. Starting the day off with a slideshow ?” Scully asked as she set her briefcase on her desk, chucking lightly .

“I’m that predictable huh?” Mulder replies , smirking.

“So what is it now? A UFO crashed in Nevada? Ghosts in rural Tennessee?” Scully replies. She’s used to Mulder’s interest in trying to find the most absurd explanation for something as mundane as a plastic bag blowing in the wind. What used to irritate her is that he’s was usually right. But over time , she’d grown to love it. He kept her on her toes. His unpredictability drew Agent Scully in.

“Not quite, my dear Watson.” Mulder pressed the remote and the slide flipped over. It was a photo of a restaurant. No, it wasn’t even a restaurant….

“Mulder, why are you showing me a picture of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza?The pizzeria where elementary schoolers have birthday parties. Are you trying to ask me on a date to a kids party place?” Scully replied. She knew of the pizzeria because she would have to pass by it on the bus ride to work everyday. Its logo was like a big smiling teddy bear, with a top hat, bow tie and microphone. She always assumed that it must have been Freddy Fazbear. Whatever that stupid mascots name was didn’t matter though, Scully got bad vibes of it.

Its eyes seemed too big, too cartoonish. Its face was too happy to be genuine joy. Maybe a life of examining corpses made her lose her childish wonder and excitement. Those places weren’t made for her , she knew it. They were made for 7 year olds whose parents had enough money to drop it on a birthday bash. Yet Scully still vowed that if she ever had children, she wouldn’t take them to go see that cursed bear.

“Oh? You want to go eat greasy pizza, watch animatronics sing,
and play arcade games with me?” Mulder says while running his fingers through his dark hair.

“Great first date idea, Mulder.” Scully says while she smiles slightly while rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. “So where are you actually going with this?”

“There were 5 children who went missing during the weekend , during a birthday party at Freddie’s.” Mulder replies while changing the slide to the pictures of 5 children. They appear to be yearbook photos. 2 girls and 3 boys. Their faces are so innocent , so sweet. “Their names are Gabriel, Jeremy, Fritz, Susie and Cassidy. They were there celebrating Cassidy’s eighth birthday the day they went missing.”

“Oh my….” Scully says. Her previously sarcastic smile dropping.

“Yet this isn’t the first child to go missing at this kids pizzeria.” Mulder says while putting down a yellow file onto Scullys desk. It’s labeled, ‘Murder of Charlotte “Charlie” Emily’.

“Charlie Emily went missing during a birthday party years ago. She was found stabbed to death , locked outside of the restaurant , next to one of the animatronics, the Marionette. No killer was ever caught.” Mulder says while leaning over the desk Scully is sitting at, looking into her pale blue eyes. “While reviewing this case. I couldn’t help but notice something. Charlie Emily was the daughter of Henry Emily, one of the co creators of Fazbear Entertainment. He created the Marionette animatronic to protect his daughter.”

“Guess it didn’t work out well…”Scully muttered under her breath.

Chapter Text

Scully sat in the red rental car as young children ran around the parking lot. Some were holding balloons and others their mom’s hands. The ominous bear mascot stood above them all. Gazing down on them with its overly big eyes. 

“Earth to Scully.” Mulder said as he opened her car door, startling her. “Are you ready to go in?”

“Yeah yeah, I'm ready for the time of my life.” she replied, her tone sarcastic.

                                                                                             ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

A young woman popped out from behind the hostess desk. She was wearing a work uniform which consisted of a navy polo shirt and black pants underneath a black apron. Her apron was decorated with what seemed like a billion enamel pins. One read “Hi, my name is Annabelle!” 

“Hello! Welcome to Freddy Frazbear’s pizzeria!” she said cheerily as the sound of pony beads clicked gently on her wrists “How can I help you two?”

“We are here to investigate some missing children.” said Mulder while flashing his FBI badge.

Annabelle’s cheerful attitude and face dropped in reaction.

“Oh uhm right.” she replied gently “Would you like to talk to our owner? Mr Afton?”

“That would be great miss.” responded Scully

“He's just about to perform for that party but when he's done, I'm sure he will be happy to see you two!” Annabelle said while pointing at a group of 10 year old children.

Annabelle walked off, the sound of keychains rattling following her ; which left Mulder and Scully alone in the restaurant. 

As Scully looked around the party place, she took notes of the characters on the wall. There was Freddy Fazbear, the little brown bear with the bow tie but that was the only character she knew the name of. There was a chicken or maybe a duck carrying a pink cupcake, an indigo bunny rabbit holding a red guitar, and a red fox dressed like a pirate. 

“Is this what kids are interested in these days?” she muttered to herself.

Suddenly the lights dimmed down, the large red curtain on the stage opened and music started to play, which made Scully jump a little and consciously or not move a little closer to Mulder.

“No need to be frightened, Scully. It's just elementary school Woodstock.” Mulder said playfully.

As the curtains opened fully, Scully saw 3 out of 4 of the characters on the stage, Freddy, the bunny and the chicken.

                                                                                   If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to

Sang a clearly robotic voice as the 3 animatronics began to move stiffly on the stage.

                                                                                          Why don’t you go where fashion sits

Children began to crowd below the stage, jumping up and down.

                                                                                                     Puttin’ on the Ritz

Mulder looked at the animatronics and back at Scully again.

                                                                                      Different types who wear a day coat

Footsteps started approaching the side door to the party room.

                                                                                  Pants with stripes and a cutaway coat,perfect fits

The lock started to rattle.

                                                                                                          Putin’ on the Ritz

As the doors flew open and the song finished, a golden yellow bear animatronic walked into the party room. No, it’s movements were too fluid for an animatronic, it was a person.