Submechanophobia | Animatronic Apocalypse | Bobbiedots, Part 1
Join the Fazbear Fan Club! Be there or... Beware of the Animatronic Apocalypse!
"We'll create a special team to strategize on how to take the earth back from the animatronic invaders!"
Robbie Wilson has been a fan of the Fazbear franchise since he was a little kid. So in his school, he quickly joins the Fazbear Fanclub, playing a TTRPG entitled "Animatronic Apocalypse" with the other kids, where they play against imaginary animatronic enemies. However, after he leaves early one day, he returns to find that the Principal, Mr. Renner, is now heading the club, and now every other member is acting strange. As the weirdness increases by the day, Robbie starts to become legitimately afraid of what they could all be doing. As for what they claim to be doing, all they say is that they are preparing for the real Animatronic Apocalypse.
The eleventh Tales from the Pizzaplex story, and the second of the fourth book, Submechanophobia. Following the first book's "Frailty," this is the second story that may be connected to Fazbear Frights and the Eleanor subplots.
Tropes related to “Animatronic Apocalypse”:
- 13 Is Unlucky: The Fazbear Fanclub meets up in Room 13.
- Absurdly Powerful Student Council: Zabrina is elected head of the Fazbear Fanclub, and immediately starts turning it into a cult surrounding Mr. Renner's teachings.
- Alliterative Name: Zabrina Zee.
- Ambiguous Ending: The last line implies that Robbie could have been possessed, or he could be joking around.
- Apocalypse Cult: Kind-of. They're not trying to induce the end of the world, but trying to protect themselves from it. Or at least nominally; Mr. Renner's motives are a little unclear.
- Big Brother Is Watching: When Robbie tries to avoid participating in cult activities, the other kids apparently see him, corner him, and try to force him to participate. Earlier, someone seems to be watching Robbie as he walks home, and a rock is thrown at his head.
- Buried Alive: The Fazbear Fanclub starts burying themselves underneath the dirt in preparation for the Animatronic Apocalypse.
- Call-Back: Mr. Renner, upon being stabbed, bleeds motor oil, and turns into a pile of garbage, much like Jessica in "Frailty," which could imply a connection to Eleanor and Sarah.
- Though this would make him a bit of an odd target for Eleanor, as she is stated to mainly go after insecure teenagers, and Mr. Renner is a middle-aged school principal.
- The Cassandra: Nobody believes Robbie when he tries to tell people that something is wrong. His dad does contact the school at one point, but that's about as far as anyone goes.
- Crazy Survivalist: Subverted, as expert survivalist Robbie is the only one who manages to stay sane.
- Creepy Child: Zabrina starts to become this as the head of the Fazbear Fanclub cult.
- Dark Messiah: The Freddy Fancult seems to perceive Mr. Renner as one of these, as they immediately follow all of his instructions on how to protect themselves from robots.
- Demonic Possession: Well, something is possessing Mr. Renner and begins spreading through the town. What was it? Don't worry about it!
- Eat Dirt, Cheap: The cult begins to eat dirt, believing it will protect against animatronic toxins.
- Eat That: The fanclub starts a daily routine of eating beetles out of specialized boxes at a certain time of day.
- The End of the World as We Know It: "Animatronic Apocalypse" was originally just a fun alliterative name for the kids' TTRPG. Once Renner takes over, the kids start becoming convinced that the animatronics are actually coming to take over, and they have to protect themselves from the oncoming onslaught.
- The End... Or Is It?: The story ends with all of the kids seemingly returning to normal... only for Robbie to tell Dyson that the club will be preparing for the animatronic apocalypse. It's likely just a joke, but there's always a chance it isn't...
- Eye Scream: When Renner attacks Robbie for the second time, Robbie has to stab him in the eye with the fire poker.
- False Prophet: Mr. Renner, for encouraging the club to believe that the Animatronic Apocalypse is actually happening.
- Fanboy: Robbie and the rest of the kids in the Fazbear Fanclub are, of course, huge fans of the Fazbear franchise.
- Guilt-Induced Nightmare: After killing Mr. Renner, Robbie has to stay home for a week, having multiple nightmares about his experience.
- Heroes Love Dogs: Robbie has an excitable mixed-breed named Hopper who he loves to play with.
- Improvised Weapon: Upon being attacked by the cult members, Robbie grabs a fire poker to defend himself.
- Killing in Self-Defense: Robbie first attacks Mr. Renner only to defend himself from the crazed students. He later goes after the injured man to make sure he's okay, and is forced to stab him again when he attacks.
- Malevolent Masked Man: When Robbie walks into the cult meeting at Renner's house, Mr. Renner is wearing a large Freddy Fazbear mask.
- Monster of the Week: Mr. Renner, though it's implied that something else may have corrupted him.
- More than Mind Control: It's never stated exactly how Renner's cult managed to take over the town in less than a week.
- Nervous Tics: Robbie cracks his knuckles on a constant basis.
- No Full Name Given: Mr. Renner doesn't have a first name, and Dyson doesn't have a last.
- Objectshifting: After being stabbed, Mr. Renner turns into a pile of garbage.
- Only Sane Man: As the entire school, then town, slowly gets corrupted, Robbie remains the only person to realize something suspicious is happening.
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Paranoia Fuel: As the days go on, more and more people become possessed by whatever's controlling Mr. Renner, and people who used to be on Robbie's side start turning against him. By the end, he has no idea who to trust. - Role-Playing Game: The club's TTRPG, the titular Animatronic Apocalypse.
- Sanity Slippage: People become more and more indoctrinated into the cult as time goes on. Nathan, for instance, is confused when Robbie pulls him out of the dirt, but once he remembers that Renner told them to bury themselves, he becomes convinced that it was the right thing to do. Zabrina, who used to be an honor roll student, seems to slip the fastest, becoming Renner's second-hand as the head of the fanclub.
- Secret Circle of Secrets: The club becomes this, even cutting Robbie out of plans due to his lack of belief. Zabrina orders that nobody is allowed to speak about what happens inside the club meetings.
- Self-Harm: Johnny tells Robbie that they all have to poke needles under their nails to protect themselves.
- Sports Dad: Dyson's parents, who push him to participate in sports despite his lack of interest and anxiety about his parents' pressure.
- Uncertain Doom: The end of the story leaves it ambiguous as to whether Robbie joking, or has been corrupted after killing Mr. Renner.
- Workaholic: Both of Robbie's parents are stateed to be this, who "didn't mind his obsession with the animatronics as long as he did his homework."
- You Have to Believe Me!: Robbie, when he brings the police to where the children were buried and finds everyone is gone.
