Chapter Text
Atlas had a few different options he could take. He really did. But the most important thing was to find food and clean water. Being a street kid meant he had to grow up fast even when the world kept telling you that you were still a child. That also meant that if something happened to him, he'll have to deal with it by himself. It's not a great life, but it's surviving. And all street people are good at that. Atlas had the unfortunate accident of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being shoved against a wooden fence, slicing his arm a little open. It didn't look bad but Atlas was no doctor. Clean water would help clean it up and keep him from getting sick...or so he hoped. Sick meant he couldn't find food or run from trouble. Sick meant he would be on death's door.
So, his only real option was the place had had been staring at for almost ten minutes now. His body refusing to accept that it needed to move while his head pulled them there. Atlas knew he couldn't steal with his arm like this and that was not good. He decided that sneaking into this place was going to be the best way to do it. It would have food, probably fresh ingredients if he was lucky and water to wash himself...probably even a first aid kit he could steal. The best part was that there would be no one there. It's nighttime and the place had been shut hours ago, everyone had most likely left to go home by now. No one will be in there to stop him.
Stealing his nerves, Atlas forced his feet to slowly approach the front door. The name of the place 'The Celestial Pizzaria' with a sun and moon character had been painted on the door in bright colors. His fingers pushed lightly against the door to test it...it was open and unlocked. His lucky day! Someone forgot to lock it. Atlas took a deep breath in before opening the door open with his unhurt hand. The cool air smack against his face blissfully as he stepped inside.
The place was still brightly lit up like there was still someone here. He listened for any signs of someone being there, nothing was heard. Atlas moved further inside looking at all the art on the walls. When he got to the dining area, he saw a bunch of tables filled with party hats and plates. Colorful streamers hanging everywhere. He stopped just to take it all in. Atlas had never been inside a place like this before, not once. Not for a birthday party (his or a friend). Not for food. His good hand slid across the plastic table cloth as he slowly made his way further into the room. More art filled the walls of different animatronic characters. Would he see any of them? No, they were probably shut off for the night.
A sign said that the room near the tables was the kitchen. He headed there. Atlas opened the door with his back as he rounded into the room. Sinks and ovens lined one wall while counters and burners were in the center of the room. He thought it was rather simple for a pizzeria but who was he to judge. He just needed to clean his wound and get some food...or later. he wasn't that hungry despite not eating for a while. He glanced around for a first aid kit but saw nothing. Instead, he turned on the sink to put his wound under the running water. He hissed at the pain, watching the blood flow down the drain.
"Fuck....it stings."
He pulls his hand away as another wave of pain hit in, stumbling backward. Atlas's back knocked off a platter onto the floor with a loud 'Sching!' and 'bwawawawawa' as the metal clattered on the ground a few times before settling down. The noise in the entire building seemed to still, all going quiet at the same time. His head flicks over to the door. Did someone hear the loud clanging noise? Where they coming to arrest him? After a minute, a couple of heads pop into the room. One was a long cone like blue and white hat. Another was a clown face. The last was white chicken head. All three were animatronics, looking around the room before settling on the ten year old boy.
"Oh my it's a little boy!" The chicken screamed. "Are you lost?"
Atlas paused.
They paused.
"Little boy, are you alright? Your arm looks hurt?" The Blue and White Animatronic crept into the room with his hands out.
He glared at him, hugging his arm to his chest. "Back the fuck off!"
"Okay!" The chicken walks into the room, "No need for the harsh language, chickadee!"
"And I'm not a chickadee! I thought they shut you off when they go home."
The chicken snaps her fingers at him. "Sun and Moon let us move all we want during the night...as long as we don't leave the building."
Atlas tilts his head just a bit. "Who?"
"Speaking of which, should we call them?" The clown girl asks, looking at the two then at the others seemingly behind her. Atlas could hear the mutters from them. "Wouldn't they like to know of a kid sneaking in their kitchen...who is hurt."
Atlas makes a run for it while they were distracted. He runs past the three in the doorway only to run into three more. There was the bear animatronic that looked like he was not all together there. As well as a crocodile animatronic with glasses on his nose. The last one was a wolf like animatronic with mismatched eyes. He looked between them all feeling as if they were crowding him in, pressing against his body to herd him into the center of their circle.
"He's hurt! We should do something."
"No. Let's call Sun and Moon."
"What can they do?!"
"Oh dear, I hope he isn't in too much pain."
"The little one is certainly a sight to see. Eyes like my favorite Roxy."
"Lick."
"Call Sun at least!"
So many voices surrounded him as he spun around to see each one speaking. Arguing. His heart hammered in his chest louder and louder, pulsing in his head as well. He kept moving, squeezing his arm tighter. Air was squeezed in his throat as it was unable to get loose. There was too much, too many. It was loud and noisy and chattering...and...and he was crowded in. Trapped. Caged. Even animatronics made him feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Nothing was safe. He wanted out. Atlas kept trying to breathe, breathe, but only his head worked as it swerved to see everyone at the same time.
"Oh dearie, sweetheart," Suddenly, a voice was closer than the rest. It wasn't the one he recognized, but in the fray of everything, there could have been more. This one was yellow and like the sun. "Are we too loud for you?"
Atlas wouldn't cry in front of anyone else, but he would nod.
"I'm sorry. Everyone!" He screamed. "Shut up! And move back!"
Once everyone did, he turned to Atlas.
Atlas still couldn't breathe, clutching his hurt arm to his chest more.
"Is that better?" The yellow sun bot asked, kneeling to be nearly eye level with Atlas. "Oh! You're having a panic attack. What do we do, Frost? No, I don't want to hurt him. Frost!"
Was he talking to himself?
"Nova, dear, you're only making it worst." The chicken girl cocked her hip and placed her hand there.
The yellow sun bot gasped, "Oh dearie me~! Am I? I'm sorry!" Then he runs away.
Atlas still struggled to remain cool and calm, breathing choked as he tried to just....be normal again. He trembled. He was starting to feel more and more like he was dying. Atlas's vision was starting to blur and his head pounded. His hand gripped his hair as he struggled, pulling and ripping at the hair. Then a gentle metal hand careful pried his hand off his hair while another pressed lightly against his chest. There was a soothing voice kneeling in front of him embracing him in a calming hug. After a moment of just existing, of breathing, he started feeling better and could breathe now. His lungs burned heavily with cool air filling up his chest.
Finally able to process what was around him, Atlas looked up at the animatronic helping him. The robot was the same sun from the logo on the door except that this sun did not have any sun rays as it was supposed to in mockery of the real ball of gas. But there was a forever smile on his face that didn't seem as happy as it looked. His chest had two buttons that were supposed to represent having a shirt on without having an actual shirt. And his pants were yellow and red striped. Despite the look, Atlas was amazed at him. No matter who or what came near him, Atlas would panic, flinch, or run away...but he did nothing when this animatronic did it.
"There. Calm now?"
He nodded, not trusting his voice.
"I'm Sun...and you are?"
Another voice came from behind Sun. "He's hurt, Sun! We need to call the ambulance.
"Shut up!" Sun snapped. "Let me...give us a moment! Okay. Please."
Atlas watched as another sun like robot, a moon like robot, another crocodile robot, and an animatronic that was only made of wires pass by him. Sun, though, brought his attention back to him as if he knew that the boy was already going to start panicking. His body settled on the floor in front of Atlas, crossing his legs, and folding in his hands in his lap. Though he appeared calm, Sun had this numb feeling look to him that even Atlas had picked up on. Atlas curled up against himself as he observed the way Sun looked at everything except the ones a ways away from them.
"Who-what?" Atlas took a deep breathe, "Don't call the ambulance."
Sun offered a cheerful smile and soothing tone. "We won't...but we need to check on that arm of yours. We wouldn't want you to get infected now, would we?"
"No...but that's why I came here. To clean the wound....and get some food for later when I'm hungry." Atlas swallows hard on a lump in his throat.
"I see. May I? I won't touch you unless you give me permission." He offered out his hands, palms up.
Atlas nods, holding his arm out. He was still unsure about him since they just met. Then again, Sun was the only being out there that he didn't react to in a negative way. He needed to weary of this animatronic. What if they try something and his body doesn't stiffen up and react like he has learned to do. Atlas could not take being hurt by someone he trusted doing something bad to him again. Not again. He had to keep his guard up while Sun was around.
Sun was so gently inspecting the would on his arm. It wasn't a deep cut but it did bleed a lot. Still lightly bleeding through his shirt. Sun's fingers graze over the wound softly without actually hurting it. Atlas flicked his eyes up to Sun then back down at his own arm, going back to look at Sun. The animatronic tutted in that artificial voice that didn't come from his face but his chest. Atlas grimaced at the thought that the animatronic didn't like what he saw and would mean he had to stay here longer than he was hoping.
"It's not...bad...just not good." Sun sighed, letting Atlas's arm go back to be suctioned to his chest.
Atlas glared, "So?"
Sun looked up at the others which made Atlas look too. They were all huddled just below the stage in the center, while the chicken sat on the stage, kicking her feet. No one seemed to be telling him anything so Atlas looked back towards Sun to see what he was thinking about doing. Would he force Atlas into something he doesn't like? Would Sun just let him go? As adults, they would have to call the authorities...but they aren't. They are robots. He was confused, head hurting.
Sun gently spoke, "How about you stay here for the night? Let us patch your arm up, then, in the morning, you'll be able to leave with a full stomach. Okay?"
"I don't know." He looked around. "I don't know if I can trust you."
"That's...understandable." Sun looked around, before stopping on Molten. "You see the animatronic made of wires?"
Atlas nods.
Sun took a deep breath, "He mans the prize corner of this pizzeria. You can stay there with him. No one will mess with you while he's there."
Atlas looks around completely. Taking in everything around him. Then he turns to Sun, looking him in the eyes, and says, "Okay."