As the title suggests, this story is a little gift to my amazing friend @insane4fandoms ! Go follow them and support their art or else your jaw is gonna be shipped to Jerusalem.
(Disclaimer: three of the characters in this story do not belong to me. Casey Clowes and Donn Carter, fanegos of CoryxKenshin and Kubz Scouts respectively, were created by the birthday-mutual. MadPat—or, Henry Emily, in the FNAF Musical-verse—was created by Random Encounters.)
(Trigger Warnings: flashbacks/slight trauma, implied stalking, slight blood/gore, physical violence, implied kidnapping/abduction, implied murder/death, food/drink. Please let me know if I missed anything.)
Years ago…
This wasn’t the first time a check-up had been called in for Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzaria.
And even if this was specifically Casey’s first time setting foot in the place, he could already tell that it wasn’t going to be the last call, either.
Oh sure, it played the part of any kid’s zone. All the scribbled drawings that had been taped to the walls, the playful checkerboard layout of the floor tiles, the blinking lights on the ceiling that bathed everything below in color…it all looked like a birthday clown had thrown up everywhere, but somehow, that could still be associated with innocence.
When you took a moment to look closely, however, things started to change.
Behind the drawings, the wallpaper was musty and peeling. Stains were camouflaged on the black tiles, but a lucky bunch still managed to peek out around the borders of the white ones.
Plenty of the tinted lights flickered in a way that clearly wasn’t programmed, and if you listened hard enough, you’d pick up on the grating hum-buzz that was more or less threatening to make the bulbs shatter with a sharp, loud POP! at any given moment.
(There was no way in either Heaven or Hell that Casey would go anywhere near the ballpit. It didn’t matter if that would end up costing him his job, especially since he was still a rookie on the force. No, that was simply the one thing he would never budge on. He was just fine snooping around anywhere else in this joint, but he’d heard more than enough tales about the disgusting horrors that hid beneath mounds of pastel plastic spheres. Some things just weren’t meant to get that fuzzy or sticky, and yet…)
Then again, all those examples were just the subtle parts of the restaurant.
There was a much more obvious creepshow here for all customers and staff alike to see.
A stage stood at the center of the main area, up ahead of the rows of folding tables. It looked pretty rickety, with discolored wooden panels that still showed age and damage despite the layers of paint that had been applied in an obvious rush. Casey couldn’t be sure where it’d come from, but legally speaking, there should’ve been some kind of disclosure about the risk of something unsavory hiding inside it.
He supposed the exact same thing could be said about the… “performers” up in the spotlight. He knew the stage had to be creaking and groaning under their collective weight (they were hunks of metal covered in fabric, after all), but they were making plenty of noise themselves to drown it out.
A janky, warbling, pre-recorded song leaked from unseen speakers, somehow in perfect timing with the way each of them swayed and pivoted, their mouths jerking open and shut every few seconds.
Casey tilted his head at the display. He could see why children would be willing to look past all the flaws around here—what kind of kid didn’t like colorful, singing animals? Especially a bear, a bunny, and a chicken? Those were the poster-children for…well, childhood. They were the easiest subjects for picture books and plushies.
Besides, the kids around here would be too busy with cake, or pizza, or the arcade games to really focus on just how blank the animatronics’ eyes were.
The eyes…even with all the imagination that had been put into them, those were the things that really drove the point that the animals weren’t alive, were never intended to be alive.
Casey shook his shoulders, turning on his heel to continue past the stage. Donn was busy enough trying to interview some of the employees; he’d let Casey come on this assignment because he’d actually believed that he wouldn’t have to babysit.
And one way for Casey to prove that he didn’t need said babysitting was to not get distracted by creepy animatronics.
Get in, make your position clear, and look around in ways that the health inspectors somehow weren’t qualified for.
That’s all this job was.
It was simple. It was routine.
If Casey couldn’t stay a course like this…then really, what was he even good fo—
“Well, hang on just a second!” The voice didn’t bring silence to the room, but it still seemed to carve its way into Casey’s ears.
Casey had to bite back a groan. Yeah, he knew he was in a literal position of authority, but the word PROFESSIONAL may as well have been burned into the backs of his eyelids at this point, thanks to all the lectures and warnings he’d gotten during training.
Scratch that earlier sentiment; the Fazbear creepshow wasn’t just limited to the animatronics.
It had some help from the damn mascots.
…Or, one of the mascots, to be more specific.
There were two of them, both following the animal theme the robots had been designed with.
One dressed as a yellow rabbit with a purple bowtie; he was somewhere else in the building. Maybe he was one of the people Donn had pulled aside for a chat?
And the other—the one Casey begrudgingly turned to face—took on the role of a brown bear with a black top hat that was being worn at a very ridiculous angle.
“You must be lost,” the bear chirped, sliding over to hover in front of Casey, then pointing over his shoulder. “The party’s over there! That’s where the fun is!”
Mr. Bear (because he obviously wasn’t Freddy himself) then glanced over his own shoulder at the hallways Casey needed to check, emphatically shaking his head. “But there’s nothing fun over there. It’s all just boring stuff, and we don’t want our guests to put up with that.”
Casey rolled his eyes. “Hey—listen, you don’t have to keep up the act with me. You know that, right? I mean, I don’t know the rules around here, but I won’t tell if you don’t.”
He knew some theme parks were absolutely tyrannical when it came to the poor saps that had to stuff themselves into costumes just to make ends meet, but this place…well, it didn’t look like it had that much of a powerful, influential budget, but he’d been wrong before.
Again, Mr. Bear shook his head, this time with a small chuckle. “What are you talking about? I just want to make sure your visit is happy! And you’ll be happiest if you stay over there with the games and the show and the food.”
Casey narrowed his eyes.
As the seconds ticked by, it felt more and more like this guy was just trying to mess with him. Like he could read Casey’s mind, see the thread of discomfort that was weaving its way along his thoughts, and was now deciding to screw with it because he had nothing better to do.
“Listen, I’m not here for any party. I’m just trying to do my job, alright?”
Again, Casey tried to continue down the hallway.
Again, Mr. Bear found a reason to try and stop him.
To be fair, though, this latest reason had variety, as it set Casey’s instincts on fire and made him want to haul back and deliver a punch all the way through that stupid mask-head-thing.
Because as Casey turned to keep walking, weight suddenly manifested around his chest, on his shoulders.
Close to his neck.
Mr. Bear had trapped him in a hug. And, like any red-blooded mammal on the receiving end of a trap, Casey cried out and struggled. “What the hell—get off! I never said you could touch me!”
“Aww, why?” Mr. Bear crooned, his grip tightening. “It just looked like you needed one. You know what they say: ‘A hug a day keeps the monsters away!’”
“Nobody has ever said that!” Casey protested, a chill racing down his spine with disrespectful speed. “What’s that even supposed to mean?”
His hands found themselves gripping Mr. Bear’s wrists, forcefully prying the grasp open. And just to make the point stick, his elbow slammed against Mr. Bear’s chest, eliciting a short gasp of pain.
Before he could do anything else, Casey’s nose was only a couple inches away from the mascot’s mask. It was only for a few seconds—just because he had to make sure that Mr. Bear didn’t immediately grab at him again as he backed away.
But that was more than enough for him to look through the false head’s eye-holes.
To see the eyes of whoever was really under there.
Those eyes ere dark. They were dull. They almost looked…dead, in a way.
The happy tone Mr, Bear had spoken with earlier was so obviously fake, so obviously a script that had been drilled into his sorry skull. But now that Caesy could see his eyes, see how they would never, NEVER match with any kind of act, no matter what is was…
Casey couldn’t help it. He ran.
He still went down the hallway, the job still in his head.
But he if was going to get some distance from Mr. Bear, then he had to do it FAST.
He did NOT want another close encounter.
In his haste, he didn’t see how Mr. Bear just stood at the corridor’s threshold, staring after him as he got further and further away.
He didn’t see how Mr. Bear’s gloved hands curled into fists that shook so fiercely that the palms underneath would've started bleeding from the fingernails being dug in.
But by then, Casey had almost forgotten all about Mr. Bear.
Because as he turned one corner of the hall, came upon a dingy little door that was sequestered in a darker corner…
Well, the smell hit him first.
The door was open; just a tiny crack between it and its frame. Whoever had left the room had probably meant to close it.
But it was too late for that now.
Because the smell wouldn’t stop, slowly but surely filling up the hall.
Guess who added another YouTuber ego for comfort purposes? This goober 😎 This time the YouTuber is your boy, the one, the only.
THAT DUDE KUBZSCOUTS!!
Say hello to Donn Carter! Chief of Cave Port Police, and a close friend to Casey. Was there to guide our former rookie cop around the precinct as a commissioner, the moment Casey began yapping, Donn knew he would take this guy under his wing.
He’s just as out of pocket when in a near proximity to Casey. Individually, they can handle themselves with cases and surviving on their own, but together? It’s a mystery to how they managed to live this long with how much they can get into.
(It was totally Donn’s fault that they blatantly walked straight into a hidden drug ring with their uniforms on, he thought it was a cool bar)
He is aware of the relationship between Madpat and Casey, and doesn’t like how obsessed he can get trying to find him. He thinks having someone search to find a family member can cause great mental tolls on them. But no matter how much he tries to persuade him to stop, Casey refuses.
He just hopes he won’t watch his buddy dig his own grave.
Ooh, I think Donn might be the very first fanmade KubzEgo I've ever seen! Kudos to you!
What made you decide to make a character like him? What inspiration did you take? (Also, does his name have any symbolism/meaning? Like the way Casey's name is wordplay?)
Thanks Anon! I was surprised about how some people not knowing about my boy Jay 😭 but this gives me the chance to open the curtains to his channel 😈
Anyways, I had a little rat on my shoulder saying I should totally make a character as a friend who is in the police force that helps Casey with his definitely-not-dangerous ways of catching criminals.
Ya know, someone who is higher up that may or may not be a little corrupted with how much he let things slide when it comes to the investigator.
So I thought “Why not make him based of a YouTuber who is actual friends with Cory?” Then it hit me… it had to be THAT DUDE!!
I know he doesn’t have a red streak in his hair, but he just felt not fully complete without his iconic red headphones, so I had to add a little red in there.
Then I came up with Donn Carter, whose name is just a combination of the meaning of “Chief” and “patrol” from Scotland and Ireland (they have cool names with cool meanings fr)
And yeah, don’t let the title of “Chief of police” fool ya, Donn’s just as unhinged as the real Kubzscouts is, and together with Casey they’re the MOST stoppable duo 🔥 (think of Jayce and Vi from Arcane, those two CANNOT do nothing if they’re close 😔)
And here’s a dumb doodle of them based off a reaction meme I always have on the ready because it makes me laugh lmao
@wouldntyou-liketoknow gotta give credit where credit is do on who inspired me to make these tow goobers
