Abandonment World
Part 3
TW: This chapter actually HAS abandonment in it. Also just a great deal of child neglect and the severe mistreatment of Animatronics.
.
It's going to take over a year before the Bloodmoon King will need the help of KC and co... So it's time to look at some of the other, interesting little stories that are likewise taking place in this dimension. Both in the past, but also during the year wait.
.
The first story starts about a decade before the current timeline...
It's a chilly December, snow piling up on the sides of the road. It's near the heart of the city, so it's a pretty bustling place. There's this little convenience store, small but carries a little bit of everything.
The owner is a nice enough guy, considered a bit of an odd ball... Mainly because he's known to be nice to the local Techs.
And this one particular Tech. An absolute mountain of a man. Standing at 6'10 and well muscled, he was built like a Tank...
And that's what everyone called him...
His name, as far as anyone knew, was Tank...
Tank was a quiet fellow. He would stay to himself mostly, yet if he was approached by a younger Tech or really anyone who needed assistance he wouldn't hesitate to help... He was also particularly brilliant, even among Techs. Thus he had a good reputation and he was well respected among these underground communities of forgotten and abandoned people. Although nobody knew much about where he came from, or anything else about his past for that matter.
Still, he frequented this little store. A bit of a deal between him and the owner. Tank fixed anything that might break and in exchange he could have free coffee.
But it was on this particularly cold day, Tank was sipping some coffee and making some idle chat with the owner when a minivan pulled up out front and both men watched as a family started getting out. Looked to be a father, mother and four kids. Three girls and a boy, with the mother holding a newborn. The father was staying in the driver's seat. The mother was speaking to the kids and seemed to single out the middle girl, who barely looked 8 years old. She seemed to tell that girl to go inside the store and they would join her in a second. Which the young child did; the little girl walking into the store...
...her family didn't follow her in though...
...when the 8 year old had just walked into the store, the family got back in the car and drove off without even looking back...
Tank nearly dropped his coffee...
The girl didn't notice right away. She mostly was wandering around the store for a bit. But then when she did finally realize she was alone, she got scared and went outside. Looking for the family that had just left without her... She eventually sat down in the snow under a streetlight.
The shop owner sighed. This wasn't the first time he'd seen a child get 'Left Behind.' While Tank just stared in horror.
Tank walked out to just try and talk to the kid, but she looked at him fearfully and he backed off. Smart girl, clearly aware of stranger danger... He just went back into the shop and got another cup of coffee.
For five days that little girl sat under that streetlight in the cold and snow. Occasionally going inside the convenience store to warm up, go to the bathroom or get out of the wind. Which the shopkeeper allowed. Even giving her a little sandwich and a blanket... Honestly more than most would do for a recently abandoned child. And Tank also lingered nearby. Watching to make sure nothing happened to the little one.
On the sixth day, Tank approached her again. Talking friendly and calm. He could see she'd been crying... Unsurprising... She was lucky it hadn't been colder outside or she would have froze to death by now. But he just spoke nicely, calmly. Clearly he had some experience with kids if the way he spoke to the girl was any indication. The child held herself together for as long as she could. Before she finally cracked and just broke down into hysterical crying... She hugged the giant man and couldn't stop herself and he carefully rubbed her back. Promising that everything would be alright.
When she finally calmed down more, Tank asked for her name... She replied saying her name was Belle.
Tank: Alright then, Tinkerbell. Let's get you out of the cold and someplace warm...
And he carefully placed his coat around the little girl, Tinkerbell, picked her up and took her with him...
Techs in this world are not only renowned for building their own technology from things thrown away...
They are also known to build their families in the exact same manner...
.
...Flash Forward to shortly before Killcodes arrival...
.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city in a quiet suburb, there was a man named Billy. Nice guy, has two kids, fraternal twins, a boy and girl by the names of Ryan and Emily; each only 9 years old. Billy's been going through a rough patch in life... He's a recent widower. His wife passed in a car accident and frankly the poor guy is spiraling. Hard to adapt to being alone with two equally heartbroken kids while trying to juggle your own immense feelings of loss and despair while working a full time job at a network. He's doing his best but... He wasn't having a lot of luck with babysitters...
He really needed some help...
Cue the office hotshot, the loudmouth guy who thinks he's higher up on the company totem pole than he actually is. A fellow by the name of Drew... He takes notice of Billy's mounting stress and hears him out. Which he then laughs and tells him to buy his kids some Fazbear Bean Dolls. Yeah, they are expensive, but worth every penny. Kids love them; he bought his own son a Monty Bean Doll and it never leaves his son's side. Even helps with homework, in spite of not being able to talk.
Billy, admittedly desperate, decides it's worth a shot and after work he stops by a Fazbear Bean Doll Store and purchases both a Sun and a Moon doll for his kids.
When he brings them home the kids are absolutely overjoyed; they love those dolls.
It didn't take Billy long to realize that Drew wasn't kidding about their usefulness. They actually picked up a lot of slack in the house. Things Billy had been struggling to do right or remember... Things his wife used to do for the kids, like making lunches, making sure they cleaned up their toys or did their chores, as well as just cleaning the house in general. The dolls were right there with the kids. Helping them in a way Billy felt he could not have done better.
Sometimes he'd come back from work to find the four on the living room couch, watching Food Network shows. With the two Bean Dolls completely entranced.
The Moon seemed to particularly enjoy watching Gordon Ramsay.
Billy actually worked for the Food Network, he wasn't very important. He mostly just handled paperwork; the job paid VERY well and financially he and his family were okay. But... Little by little, he began to throw himself further into his work and leaving the care of his kids to the Bean Dolls.
Often he would come home late, the kids already in their beds asleep and the Bean Dolls usually watching Kitchen Nightmares reruns.
But... He couldn't help but notice that the dolls seemed to stare at him whenever he came home. The Sun looking at him with what he believed was pity, while the Moon seemed angry. Billy tried to shrug it off, but those looks seemed to only get more intense with each day he worked late... Of course... He also wasn't noticing how his kids were no longer running up to him to greet him whenever he came home. Like he was more of a roommate than a parent.
...And then things came to a head...
The office had to clear out due to a malfunctioning fire alarm. Due to this everyone got to go home early, Billy included.
He got home, the sky overcast and grey. Low rumbles of thunder and the small flash of light amongst the clouds, signaling a bad storm ready to start at any moment. But no sooner had he stepped out of his car did he notice that the kids and the dolls were actually out in the backyard. They were running around, having what looked like water-balloon fight. Not really paying attention to the looming storm.
Billy called for the kids to get inside, but at that moment Moon had climbed onto the roof of the small play house that the kids had in the backyard, hefting the largest water-balloon to throw at the kids-
And he was promptly struck by lightning...
There was a pause, as though nobody could fully register exactly what they had seen. But suddenly the Sun started squeaking loudly in horror and the kids started bawling and ran over to Moon. Where he was just laying limp on the ground.
Billy raced over and picked up the now motionless doll and he led the kids and their Sun doll into the house just as it finally started pouring rain. He laid the doll on the table and started looking him over, not entirely sure if there was a way to reboot him. The kids were in hysterics...
Begging Moon to not leave them too...
Hearing that, hearing the utter devastation in his childrens voices actually made Billy pause. He... He hadn't thought how his kids were getting THAT attached to these dolls, how he hadn't noticed-
With a slightly pained groan, the little Moon doll sat up on the table rubbing his head. The kids and their Sun calming down seeing him sit up on his own. Moon looked around a bit before looking straight at Billy and frowning deeply.
Moon: Asshole...
...he spoke...
Everyone literally just stared. Billy's jaw dropped as he looked at the toy that just swore at him. Honestly it seemed like the Moon was just as surprised that he was able to speak actual human words instead of just squeaking. But he accepted it quickly and told the two kids to go to their rooms for a second, as he and Sun needed to 'Have a quick word' with their dad... And the kids did as he asked. But we're whispering excitedly about a magic lightning strike that let Moon talk now and maybe lightning could let other toys talk too!
Yeah that was something that they'd need to address later...
Still, once the kids were gone and before Billy could say anything, Moon started to chew the guy out about abandoning his kids. Like he was scarily blunt, with his Sun nodding along as Moon eviscerated him. When his senses returned Billy tried to argue back, he didn't need to be judged by a doll for his choices. Which he tried to argue weren't that bad and were just misunderstood-
But the Moon had frickin receipts. Recounting specific incidents of Billy not being there when his kids needed him. Before giving him the biggest reality check; explaining that he'd essentially handed over his kids to the two dolls to raise and... And the kids had started to believe that he didn't love them anymore.
That froze the man down to his soul...
He sat down at the kitchen table, hard and put his face in his hands. Whispering that this wasn't what he had meant to happen. He never meant for things to get like this... He thought everything was going alright, he didn't know any of this was happening!
Moon sighed as he watches the realization dawn on the man's face after hearing the truth... And Sun walked over and was giving him sympathetic pats on the leg. While Moon continued, explaining that they figured the guy wasn't a bad dad deliberately. How they could see how his wife's death was affecting him as much as the kids who were still grieving... And how they needed their dad, not the dolls.
The thing is, that Billy is a genuinely good guy. He just lost his way a bit. And he takes the Moons words to heart and reengaged with his kids which took a while... But he starts handling things better, and the Bean Dolls do continue to help. They obviously care about these kids too, but it's no longer like Billy has just dumped everything on them. And Moon isn't exactly shy about speaking up if he doesn't like something.
But one day, Billy actually gets a front row seat of how bad things could have gotten...
With the son of his asshole coworker, Drew, his young son Andy is having a birthday party that his father is hosting. Now Andy is friends with Emily and Ryan, who bring their Bean Dolls with them to the party. Billy is there talking with Drew...
And he finally notices how sullen Drews son actually looks... It's clear he's happy that Ryan and Emily are there, as he knows them. But all the other kids he clearly has no idea who any of them are and they're all... Kind of ignoring the birthday boy.
Drew talking to all the parents like he's a big shot. Revealing that everyone invited with their kids were coworkers of his; with the exception of Emily and Ryan his son really doesn't know any of them. Even letting it slip he only invited the people he did so he could talk with everyone he knew, rather than interact with a bunch of strangers who just so happened to have kids his son was friends with.
Still he began to praise his son, when the boy came into the kitchen and started pouring himself a drink of water.
Drew: And here's the birthday boy! Looks just like his old man eh? We're practically identical down to the shade of our blue eyes.
Andy: ...I have heterochromia dad, my left eye is brown and my right is green.
Drew: (Completely ignoring his son) And just like me in so many ways. I can't wait to sign him up for football!
Andy: I play soccer...
Drew: It's clear my ex just doesn't understand my son. Of course... If we're being honest, I do expect her to crawl back in a few months. This divorce is Soooo hard on her.
Andy: (Throws his hands up, realizing his dad is completely ignoring him and walks away while saying 'Moms doing fine...')
Andy's Monty had been lingering nearby with Sun and Moon, staying in the doorway and watching this disturbing little show play out. Truthfully, Billy can see the look in that small gators eyes, even from behind his sunglasses. If the Bean Dolls were any bigger, he was pretty sure that Monty would beat Drew to death with a brick...
Drew just made that the most awkward and uncomfortable kids party anybody had ever attended. More a testament to his massive ego than any real affection, or wanting to do something nice for his kid...
On the drive back, Moon was sitting in the passenger seat while the kids and Sun had dozed off in the back... He gave Billy a very cold look, although it wasn't directed at him, more like he was just reviewing that disaster of a party.
Moon: I'm glad you stopped before you became... That...
Billy agreed with that sentiment...
.
Although... As more time passes and Billy watches those dolls a bit more closely. He noticed one thing that just stands out to him.
The absolute joy that these two took in cooking and how fun it was to watch...
Moon loved to cook all sorts of meals and he was remarkably good at it; it had reached the point that he was the one who actually wrote out the grocery lists. He wanted to try cooking a little of everything. Hell one day Billy just sat there and watched how the little guy managed his way around the kitchen so well that it put some professional human chefs he knew personally to shame.
Sun obviously enjoyed cooking too, however it became obvious he liked baking more than cooking. He may have been unable to speak, but his Moon always translated his cute little squeaks.
These two seemed to get along particularly well for a Sun and Moon pair. They rarely fought and when they did, aside from the fact that they both would scream at the other (Even if the argument could only be heard from one side) they usually made up pretty quick afterwards...
Of course a slight food fight often exists in the middle of that argument... But that's not really important.
As before stated, Billy works for the Food Network. He's not all that important, but his position is still nothing to put ones nose up at. And there had been talk that the big wigs were looking for some new ideas for some holiday specials. Or just some new shows in general.
After running it by Moon and Sun, he got up his nerves and had a talk with his boss... And presented the concept of these two doing a little cooking show.
Now people love Bean Dolls and shows depicting them always did well. The fact that this Moon was an oddity that could speak properly would help distinguish him from others...
The execs thought it would be a cute one off, if nothing else...
Thus the little guy got a holiday special called 'Cooking with Chef Moon' which actually turned into a massive hit. People finding the whole show completely adorable. Although, Billy was the one who actually received money and royalties from the show. As Moon and Sun belonged to him... Although he put the money in a separate account for them. Trying to treat them fairly in a world that doesn't.
The little Moon also distinguished himself by turning his hat inside out, making it a white hat with black stars... He would claim it's his version of a chefs hat. While Sun was often referred to as Sous Chef Sun. Not as popular as his brother, but he was still loads of fun to watch.
Also Chef Moon did eventually get to meet Gordon Ramsay, who he regularly referred to as a god among men...
Apparently Ramsay's ability to be an asshole to people and get paid for it was just as much fun as watching him cook to a Moon.
The signed cookbook Moon got from him is one of his most precious possessions...
.
Now sadly, there are plenty more negative aspects of the Bean Dolls existences... The fact that they're intelligent and essentially little robots means that some companies have no issues buying them to use as slave labor...
One such company has a very nasty habit of purchasing Solar models... Chosen because while Eclipse models are usually brilliant, their attitudes made them less cooperative. God forbid 'Lord' models have the worst attitudes of any Bean Dolls, but Solars? They have good natures and are hard workers... Thus, this company will buy one at a time and work them to the proverbial bone... and when it inevitably gets injured or wrecked they simply throw it out and buy another as a replacement.
The Solar of this particular entry is the 5th one this company has purchased so far this year...
This Solar is put into a work room full of heavy equipment that would never pass safety regulations for a human, but nobody cares if a Bean Doll would work on it...
No recognition...
No breaks...
The little guy is told to work until he drops and if he doesn't, the bosses will make him regret it.
And they meant it...
They would either kick him around or electric shock him, enough for pain but never enough to damage him. Not that it mattered, the boss made it so that the pain of stopping to rest was worse than the concept of getting crushed to death by the heavy machinery.
For months he worked without any breaks and without any help. So exhausted, yet still somehow able to keep everything running.
Until that one fateful day...
The crippling exhaustion was starting to make this Solar malfunction. His eyes getting static in them as he tried to work on an electrified circuit board that had been acting up... But in a moment of misjudgement, a moment of moving a pliers into a hot area-
There was a massive power surge and in an instant, the small Solars was blown into the wall giving him an X Shaped scar over one eye and blasting his arms clean off his body...
He sat there for a second recalibrating, before he started screaming and crying! The boss came to see what the racket was about, only to find the damaged Solar. He sighs in annoyance and picks him and his severed arms up, takes him outside and throws him in a dumpster. Muttering about how they need to get a new one now...
Tech Solar realizes his life is essentially over and he'll die when the garbage truck shows up in the morning... He's pretty much just curled in the corner of the dumpster and is crying.
...but a scavenger coming by looking for parts changed that fate...
She was a teenager most likely 16 or 17, fairly tall with brilliant blue eyes, sandy blonde hair that was kept in a messy ponytail. She wore goggles on her head and had patchy overalls, an oversized Metallica tee-shirt, heavy work boots and thick gloves. She had a huge backpack on her back that had several flashlights and wrenches sticking out of its exterior pockets.
She was humming to herself as she set the bag down and pulled out one of the flashlights and started looking through the various trashcans and garbage bags that littered this back alleyway. If she found something of use or value she would either pocket it, or if it was larger, stuff it into the backpack. Eventually she hopped into the dumpster and began to root around through the rubbish, eventually reaching Solar, who remained motionless and silent...
"Aww, I always wanted one of these as a kid. So cute. What's your story little guy?" The scavenger asked as she noticed the severed arms laying a little ways away from him. She went to touch him only for his head to snap up and he glared at her. That did get a surprised yelp out of her... As she has assumed he was dead. So she started talking to him in a hopefully calming way-
Until someone coming outside for a smoke break heard her and started yelling for the 'Frickin filthy Tech scavenging rat' to get the hell outta there!
The girl swore under her breath and grabbed up the little Solar (Who bit her) and his severed arms and booked it...
She ran for a long time, eventually reaching a deserted suburb. Nothing but rows of vacant and condemned houses. She went to one that looked to be in only slightly better condition and she entered through the storm doors leading to the basement...
The basement was in decent shape, yet was also covered in unique pieces of tech and various computer monitors that were scattered everywhere but all were wired into one particular workbench, where a massive form sat and was working on a new project... But upon noticing the girls approach...
Tank smiled...
Tank: Ah there's my girl, how'd the scavenging go tonight Tink?
The girl, Tinkerbell, or more commonly known as Tink, just smiled and held out the Solar that was still biting her arm. Tank's face falls as he looks at the damaged state of the little Bean Doll and he reaches to take him from Tink-
Revealing Tanks left arm had been fitted with a very high-tech looking prosthetic...
He just gently plucks the little animatronic and puts him on his work table and begins talking very calmly to him. Saying that he's more than qualified to repair him and he doesn't have to stay afterwards if he doesn't want too. But if he decides to stay they'd be happy to have him join their little family.
The Solar calms down and listens to the first person to treat him nicely since he was created... And he nods, allowing Tank to start working to repair his arms. While Tink sat nearby and watched as Tank explains all about working on Fazbear animatronics and how they are typically built. Being very careful with how he handles the small bot. Eventually he gets his little arms reattached and Tank sat back and asked him again what he wanted. To stay or leave...
The little Solar opted to stay with them...
Tank nodded, then asked if that was the case, would Solar like a secondary set of arms to help him with anything he decided he wanted to build? Which got the small bots eyes to just light up at the concept of being able to choose what he wanted to do and what he wanted to build for himself. He nodded vigorously.
Tank laughed at this point...
Techs always build their families from things thrown away...
