"it's all in the wrist, see?"

"Yeah huh."

"gotta calculate the right amount of ketchup and relish to fit on the bun. there's a science to it."

"Right."

"taking notes, boss? wouldn't want you to have to play ketchup once I get into the advanced lessons."

"That is literally the tenth time you've said that joke, stop it."

The sentry post was tiny, made for the accustomed space of an equally tiny skeleton instead of a tall, high-wired fish monster. But it was the best hot dog business this side of monster town. Well, the only hot dog business, really. No one actually knew what hot dogs were exactly, so Sans' had gotten a monopoly on the business. With the population stuck between Muffet's massively expensive bakery dealings and Sans' questionable menu, it wasn't like most monsters had much of a choice in the matter to get some quick and dirty snacks. Unless you decided to hoof it on over to the MTT Emporium, and only if you had a craving for sequins.

Undyne could barely fit into the post, the top of her head brushing against the underside of the roof, the same roof that refused to be cleared of any snow. And like the monsters of the Underground, the former Captain of the Royal Guard was also left with little choice of where to turn to… for money, that is. There weren't exactly many job openings lately since the King's demise. MTT's customer service was all but locked out, Muffet's business solely practiced nepotism, and she could barely ever get an interview for Napstablook's Snail Farm and Racetrack, the ghost being too shy to ever meet up with her. Grillby's had offered, but her former co-workers hung out at the bar plenty, which only made things awkward between everyone. And begging a job from the Queen – well, that bridge was burned no matter what. There was really only one place left for her to go.

Sans had already given the angry fish her nametag before she thought to ask him.

Sure, maybe this wasn't as glorious as her last occupation, but she was never one to give up – even if the whole situation made her more grumpy than usual.

"What are these hot dogs even made out of?" She glared at the skeleton who was propped up on a small stool, eating his previous lesson prop.

"no worries. it's all local produce." He made the a-ok sign with his gloved hands. "scout's honor."

"Do we even eat meat down here?"

"hey, would i ever lie to you."

"Yes, you would?! And you have?! Plenty of times!"

Undyne slammed the counter of the sentry post/hot dog stand with her fist, the wood splintering from the pressure. Even though she glared outright murder at the skeleton, he took no notice.

"huh. doesn't sound like me." He slid off his stubby legs from the damaged counter, sitting as straight as his lazy bones would allow. "anyway, better stop slacking, undies. we got customers."

Honestly though, giving up this job was getting very tempting by the day. And she had only been working one day.

"Ahh~! Open still, yes!"

A happy Vulkin was standing just before the hot dog stand, patiently waiting for them with flushed cheeks, flushed eyes, and a flushing magma core that continually spewed out hot torrents of love! Or whatever the Vulkin liked to call it.

Undyne can't stand these guys for a number of reasons.

"heya, buddy. same as usual, right?"

"Yeah~! Toasty bun!"

"ya heard the adorable little tectonic plate." He motioned at Undyne. "give 'em what they want."

"Yeah, yeah." Undyne took out one of the slightly over-burnt buns, placing the hot dog (?) in it, then proceeded to add the toppings. "You want ketchup on it, right?"

"Ahh~! So tasty!"

Well, she was interpreting that as a yes. Heaving a bit underneath the heat, she gripped the ketchup bottle and squeezed. There was an appropriate amount, she supposed. But nah, it looked so lame! She squeezed again, until the hot dog was slathered in it, becoming more and more like a bloody mess of meat and bread.

"kinda overkill, don't ya think?" Sans criticized.

"You barely ever put any of this stuff on!" Undyne shot back, currently strangling the hot dog with a strong fist. "Especially for a monster that supposedly loves drinking it!"

"Wow~! So very red! And tasty!"

"See? They get it!" Undyne turned her shark-tooth grin to the smiling Vulkin. "Hey! Just getting ketchup is pretty boring! Want some relish? Thousand-island sauce?"

"Ahh~! I am allergic to relish-"

Undyne took out a whole pot that was filled with the relish topping, seemingly out of nowhere. Hot dog in shaking fist, she dunked the food inside the pot until it was completely covered in the stuff. "NGGaahh!"

"wow." Sans was leaning his skull onto his hand, watching with interest. None of the food splatters seemed to hit him. "chill."

The Vulkin never seemed to mine that their food was completely soggy, with barely any of the original ketchup left on it. Undyne drizzled some other condiments onto the hot dog, including secret sauce, secret sprinkles, and secret flakes (made by the secret tems). Undyne then slammed the decorative snack into the crater that made up the Vulkin's head. "Ahh~! Toasty bun! But relish-"

"You need to build up your immunity!" Undyne declared, pointing at the Vulkin. "And the only way you can do that is to face your allergy head on!"

"is that how it works?" Sans asked.

"Thank you~! I love toasty buns!" The Vulkin then walked around the counter to get closer to Undyne. "Thank you! Hug!"

This was one of the reasons why she didn't particularly like these Vulkins.

"Hey! No need for that. Hold on!"

"come on, boss," Sans commented. "as your boss, you gotta listen to the customer and accept what they give you. don't wanna be rude."

"Ugh, are you serious?"

"Hug~!" The Vulkin moved ever closer to Undyne, the heat of its personal lava overflowing to threaten a certain fish to become fried.

"rules are rules." Sans shrugged. "and ya gotta work on those social skills a bit more. this is a good start."

"Hug~!"

"Ngahhh! God damn it-!"

Undyne wasn't the only one who disliked Hotland.

Papyrus could never truly understand why his brother would voluntarily set up his illegal side-job there. Not that Papyrus could disapprove of Sans finding his work ethic! (Even if said work ethic was for questionable ventures). Apparently, Hotland was where the crowds would gather for having a fresh hot bun in their fresh hot hell. But then, those who enjoyed having conveyor belt puzzles around their homes were probably very strange monsters to begin with!

But since it was Undyne's very first day into her new job, Papyrus thought it prudent to visit. Well, actually, Sans had thought it prudent for Papyrus to visit. While this would eat into Papyrus' sentry duties, he supposed he could make this exception. After all, he would be seeing Undyne!

"SANS!" Papyrus shouted, still miles off from his destination as he passed the flashing neon welcome sign. The decibels of his voice echoed across the vast cavernous walls that was the Underground, his brilliant tenor gracing the ears of most monsters, including startling a poor lizard monster who was still at work in her lab. "I AM COMING OVER FOR A VISIT."

"cool, bro," Sans spoke back, despite the fact that Papyrus was still very far off and that there was no sign of his brother nearby.

When he finally arrived at the hot dog stand, having to traverse the (shudder) dreaded conveyor belts, his skull was sweating bullets. Not that he was affected by the heat, as he had no skin, but because Hotland was always so very stressful! How could monsters stand to live here? And not the snowy landscape of Snowdin where sensible puzzles containing spikes, electric panels, and other like-minded additions were common?

"HI UNDYNE," he said, wiping away the perspiration. "YOU LOOK VERY SLIMY. AND… BURNT?"

Any hotter, and Undyne would have been the perfect fishy side-dish, complete with lemon juice and some coleslaw for dipping. But right now, she was mostly just a burnt Undyne, who was angrily sipping away at a plastic cup of water.

"Heya, Papyrus," she greeted rather morosely.

"YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WERE IN A FIERCE BATTLE! OH! WERE YOU IN A FIERCE BATTLE? WITH A DREADED FIRE-CREATURE?"

"nah," Sans answered, seated right next to her. "she's just been working in customer service."

Undyne, sole eye glaring, had her fists clenched, looking ready to pound the smiling skell's face. Instead, she swallowed whatever she was about to shout, and continued sipping her water. Already, Papyrus was rather worried about his friend.

"SANS, I HOPE YOU HAVE BEEN TREATING UNDYNE FAIRLY. WHAT WITH HER HOUSE BEING BURNED DOWN AND HAVING NO OTHER SKILL SETS AND QUALIFCATIONS TO GET ANOTHER JOB."

"hey, im treating her great. right, undies?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Still, despite her disheveled appearance, what with her sweat and scorch marks, Undyne seemed she was fitting right in! She even had her own uniform! Although it only consisted of both a nametag (spelled 'un-dine') and a little cap on her head that had the design of a grinning skull, badly drawn and very asymmetrical. Either way, it was very professional!

"Hey, what are you doing here anyway?" Undyne asked Papyrus, narrowing an eye. "Shouldn't you be on duty right now?"

Standing up tall, like he would when he had to give his daily reports to Undyne, he nodded. "YES. BUT SANS WANTED ME TO COME OVER. SO I USED MY SOLE VACATION DAY TO COME ALONG."

Before Undyne could even begin to ask more, Sans made an obnoxious yawn, made even more obnoxious when his jaw never even cracked an inch open as he did so. "welp, time for my legally required break."

"Man, finally." Undyne groaned, stretching out her arms. "Can't wait to eat the lunch alphys made-"

"hey," Sans waved at her. "my break though. yours is later."

She stared. "What?! I came in to work earlier than you! When's my break?"

"later on." Sans slid off his stool. "that's why i had papyrus come over. to keep you company."

"WOWIE. YOU THOUGHT THIS THROUGH, BROTHER!"

"thanks."

"I never made you work for 6 hours straight with no break! And I could have!"

"no worries. as my illegal worker, i'm giving you all the benefits you have every right to, promise." Hands in his coat pockets, Sans stood up, sidestepping to the right. "going to grillby's. be back in ten, or something."

Undyne was literally shaking but before she could do anything, Papyrus had seated himself right next to her, hands on his bony lap, an everlasting smile on his bony face. "I WILL BE HERE UNTIL YOU GET BACK. JUST DON'T FALL ASLEEP AT GRILLYBY'S AGAIN."

"hey, you know i never would." And with a wink, Sans left them both. Just like that, no walking away or anything normal like that. He vanished with that wink, instantly leaving a steaming Hotland, along with the steaming hot dogs, as well as the steaming Undyne.

Grimacing, Undyne ripped off the cap from her head, throwing it to the ground. She proceeded to stomp on it into the dirt, grinding her heel into that badly drawn skull. All the while, she muttered out, "Stupid! Dumb! Stupid!"

Papyrus witnessed this event with happy silence before he interrupted, "DID YOU HAVE A GOOD FIRST DAY SO FAR?"

Her tirade against the hat finished, she slunk back onto her seat, crossing her arms and frowning. "It's been swell."

Now, Papyrus didn't like to think Undyne was being untruthful, but he had a suspicion that she was stretching such truth for him juuust a bit.

"SANS MAY NOT BE THE BEST SENTRY WORKER," he said to continue the conversation, "BUT HE DOES HAVE A PASSION FOR HIS ILLEGAL FOOD STAND. HE MUST REALLY BELIEVE IN YOU TO HAVE YOU LEARN HIS MANY TRADE SECRETS. AS HE SHOULD, FOR YOU ARE VERY GREAT! NYEH-HEH-HEH!"

Surprisingly, Undyne did not seem to be cheered by Papyrus' world-renowned praises. In fact, she only frowned even more, staring hard at the hot dog counter, at the very cracks that splintered the wood, resembling lightning strikes.

That was what her mood was like lately, even more so. Like lightning that was ready to lash out at any given moment. But Papyrus knew just who she wanted that lightning to strike down particularly.

Determined to get her out of this mood, Papyrus took out one of the prepared hot dogs that was sitting on a nearby rack. Despite knowing that this violated a number of sanitary regulations, (not that his brother ever practiced them) the skeleton held the hot dog in his gloved hand, ignoring the horrific, greasy feeling it gave him. "SANS CAN ACTUALLY BE QUITE TALENTED WHEN HE PUTS HIS MIND TO THINGS. SEE? HE EVEN CARVED THIS LITTLE KITTY FACE INTO THIS-"

"You don't need to try so hard, you know," Undyne finally said. Her voice was low, and her fiery red hair was drenched with sweat. She was back to drinking her water cups, routinely crushing the fragile things in her fists when she was done and throwing them to the side. Usually, this prompted Papyrus to remind her about the important act of recycling, for they had only one Underground after all! But, he decided it would be even more important to stay quiet.

"This is just temporary anyway. So I'll deal with Sans' stupid rules and whatever until we finally get out of here." She took another sip, more angrily this time, her sharp teeth tearing into its rim. "Then I'm going to hunt that punk down and pay them back for what they did."

She didn't have to specify for him to know who she spoke about.

Papyrus, balancing the crafted hot cat in his hands, tried to intervene. "I STILL THINK THEY WERE NOT A BAD PERSON REALLY. THEY WERE VERY NICE TO EVERYBODY IN SNOWDIN."

Undyne stomped her foot angrily, fists clenched, her sole eye sparking in fury. "Yeah, in Snowdin! But what about in Waterfall? What about even here in Hotland? What about what they did to Shyren, who only ever wanted to sing her heart out? Or to my guards who were only following my orders? Those big doofuses who were always in sync…"

She hung her head, her previous fire suddenly engulfed by sober melancholy. It was very much unlike her, but Papyrus had seen this side of her more often than he liked to admit.

"What about what they did to Asgore? The big guy was such a pushover. Probably only offered them tea and a talk about the weather. I can't…" She grimaced, then pushed out the words in a seething whisper. "I can't believe I let myself be friends with them in the first place! I knew humans were bad. I knew that they were the reason we were stuck down here, yet I fell for their tricks anyway!"

For a moment, her voice choked up, her breath stuttered, but still she kept going. He had a feeling that this was not a new thing that Undyne was saying, as if this was something she had said to herself for a while now.

"Because of that mistake, I let my friends get hurt. And I let that punk take away all of the other souls. Now we're back to square one and…" She pounded her fist again on the counter, further widening those cracks, threatening the stand to topple over at any second. "But the moment we get all those human souls back, I'll find that human and destroy them!"

"BUT, UNDYNE," Papryus tried to protest. "THE QUEEN RULED THAT ANY OTHER HUMANS THAT FALL DOWN HERE NOT GET HURT. WE CAN'T DISOBEY HER!"

Undyne turned to Papyrus finally, her eye bright, her scales still tinted red from her rage (and near heat-strokes). "The Queen's been in hiding for so long, and now that she's back, she expects to be listened to? Asgore was here for all of us monsters, not her! I'm honoring what he wanted us to do – to save all monsters and take back the Surface. Making friends like the Queen wants is what got us into this mess in the first place!" She bowed her head again, back to her sulking. She crossed her arms, looking off to the side. "That was my mistake. I'll never do that again."

Undyne started doing these kinds of things now. Dramatic monologues that veered more into vengeance than into hope, more into dealing out justice than into protecting all of monsterkind. It was what she did when she was stuck in their home, having no other place to go. Papyrus would take his breaks with her, just hanging out in the living room. But when she got into these moods, he didn't always know what to do, except to sit and listen to her berate herself for not getting the human's soul at the first opportunity.

Once, he had asked Sans just what the human must have done to make Undyne so angry, so… betrayed. His brother had shrugged, but for once, his tone held little amusement. "sometimes you think you know a person."

Papyrus still believed both Undyne and the human would have been great friends – and they were for a time! Whatever happened to make the human do the things they did (whatever they were – and he hadn't seen Shyren or some of the Moldsmals for a while actually…) was enough to make Undyne feel depressed. He had hoped that her being a busy with a job would get her out of this mood, and back to her loud, abrasive, bench-pressing self! But not even a day of hard-labor under sweltering conditions could affect her apparently.

Papyrus, still holding the hot cat, (Oh! It even had a little tail! Sans was getting better at this!) pondered on what he could do, or say. Perhaps he could give Undyne the human's cell phone number! This seemed like a situation where each could discuss their own feelings and finally reach an understanding. Although, Papyrus had only been able to leave a message the last time, and he wasn't sure if Undyne would just be shouting into the phone for two hours straight. At the very least, it might be therapeutic for her.

He had warned the human to never come back, however…

"SO, IF THE SAME HUMAN DID FALL DOWN HERE AGAIN," he started. "PROBABLY TO SEE THEIR COOL BESTEST FRIEND, PAPYRUS… YOU WOULD FIGHT THEM?"

Undyne didn't hesitate. "Yes." Her fists clenched, and suddenly there was a frightening smile on her face. One filled with righteous fury, and thirsty for a good fight. Her scales were still covered with sweat - the contrast of her exhaustion with the adrenaline rush to her eye made a vivid image. "I'll pay them back for what they've done, and take their soul. And I won't let anyone stop me –not the Queen, and not even y-!"

She stopped, the passion in her voice flickering out suddenly. Her smile faltered, and her fingers slackened. Papyrus waited in anticipation. Not even who? Why did she stop? He had to know!

"…Doesn't matter." Undyne shook her head, mood shifting back to moroseness. She turned away again. "They'd be stupid to come back. But I'll find them, no matter where they hide. And that's a promise."

Papyrus knew Undyne better than anyone – more than Alphys could, and more than maybe even King Asgore did. He knew that she kept to her promises.

"WELL, IF THAT IS WHAT YOU DECIDE…" He puffed out his chest, flexed his bony muscles, and slammed the hot cat in the middle of the counter to showcase his feat of massive strength. "THEN I WILL HELP YOU."

Undyne blinked, leaving her sulky mood faster than expected. "What? Hey, that's not… You don't need to do that."

"I WON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER." Papyrus stood up, his scarf flowing majestically from the hot steams that came from the magma below them, threatening to set the fabric on fire at any given moment. "I AM YOUR NUMBER ONE COOLEST AND BESTEST FRIEND, AND AS YOUR FRIEND, I WILL STAND BY YOU THROUGH THICK AND THIN. EVEN IF WHAT YOU PROPOSE IS NIGH ON CLOSE TO COMPLETE ANNIHILATION AND GENOCIDE OF THE HUMAN RACE IN ORDER TO ROOT OUT THE ONE PERSON THAT HAS WRONGED YOU. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT BEST FRIENDS DO!"

Undyne was speechless, probably so awed by Papyrus' fervent declaration of friendship, as well as just how much flexing his arms were doing right now. He understood. He would've been speechless himself if he saw someone as awesome as he!

"Paps..." Undyne said finally, using a nickname that used to be common, back before the human ever fell down, back before she burnt her house to the ground. "I can't let you do that for me. It's not your fault for what the human did. It's mine. All the history books Alphys gave me, all the recorded footage and research materials, I knew that humans were capable of terrible things. Yet, instead of doing what I needed to, I gave them cooking lessons." She stood up as well, back straight, and fists clenched, dedicated. "This is my burden, not yours-"

"WAIT!" Papyrus stopped her, his voice somehow louder than before. Seeing how she nearly matched her height, he stood up on his toes so that he could have that two inch advantage. "I'M SORRY TO SAY THIS, UNDYNE. BUT WHAT YOU SUGGEST… IT IS NOT VERY SMART. IN FACT, I HAVE TO SAY IT'S…" He struggled, then blurt out the rest. "IT'S VERY NOT SMART AT ALL!"

Undyne's eye twitched. "…What'd you say?"

"UNDYNE, YOU TALK AS IF YOU HAVE TO WAGE WAR ON HUMANITY ALL BY YOURSELF. BUT AS BEST FRIEND OF COOL DUDE PAPYRUS, YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO TAKE ON SUCH VENTURES WITH SAID COOL DUDE PAPYRUS. WHO WILL HAVE YOUR BACK WHEN THE VAST ARMIES OF HUMANITY HAVE YOU CORNERED? WHO WILL RESCUE YOU WITH DARING FEATS OF STRENGTH AND SKILL AT THE VERY LAST SECOND? AND WHO WILL HELP YOU FIND THE LAST MISSING CLUES TO THE HUMAN'S WHEREABOUTS SO THAT YOU CAN FINALLY LIVE OUT YOUR REVENGE FANTASY?" Papyrus jutted a thumb at his chest, his battle body spit-shined clean and looking as dashing as ever. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THAT'S WHO."

Undyne struggled again with speech, but she was quicker this time, grimacing as she did so. "I told you I don't need any help! And you have no idea just how cruel these humans can be! They'd… they'd eat you alive while you'd still have a smile on your face!"

"I RESENT SUCH ACCUSATIONS," he countered. "AFTER ALL, AM I NOT ONE OF THE MOST TOUGHEST MONSTERS IN THE UNDERGROUND, NEXT TO YOU?"

"Well- yeah, you're freaking tough! But-"

"AND AS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST, HANDSOMEST, AND ALL AROUND RADDEST DUDE, I DESERVE TO STAND BY YOUR SIDE WHILE YOU DISH OUT COLD PLATES OF REVENGE." Papyrus then stomped his foot, overwhelmed by his own emotions. "I WILL NOT LET MY COOL FRIEND GO OUT INTO DANGER ALONE AND LEAVE ME OUT OF THE ADVENTURE!"

"Ngaaaah! This isn't just an adventure! This is serious! I can't let another monster get hurt because of me!"

"THEN YOU NEED NOT WORRY! NO HUMAN CAN EVER HURT ME, NOT UNTIL THEY SAMPLE MY FINEST SPAGHETTI WHICH WILL LULL THEM INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AS YOU STAB THEM IN THE BACK."

"…Wow, that's… that's pretty brutal, Paps," Undyne stuttered before recovering. "But still! These humans probably don't even like spaghetti!"

"THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS. EVERYONE LOVES THE GREAT PAPYRUS' SPAGHETTI. NOW WHO'S TALKING CRAZY?"

What started off as a beautiful speech of friendship from Papyrus, amazing in its rendition even though it landed hard on the ears, became a shouting contest between fish and skeleton. The churning magma beneath their feet, and the constant steam that formed all around them, added a powerful imagery to their just as powerful words.

"I MEAN, WHO DOESN'T LIKE A MEAN LINGUINI NOWADAYS? DO NOT PATRONIZE ME, UNDYNE. I KNOW THE SECRETS TO CULINARY EXCELLENCE AND I WILL NOT BE INSULTED!"

"HEY! Don't forget that I was the one who first taught you about linguini and all the rest! And as your cooking mentor, I suggest you sit this one out!"

So entrenched they were in their shouting contest that they never noticed the little monster, their cheeks blushing and their eyes full of idyllic bliss.

"Ahh~! So loud!"

"MY COOKING MENTOR ALSO TOLD ME TO NEVER GIVE UP! AND THAT IS WHAT I AM DOING RIGHT NOW. NOT GIVING UP, AND NOT BACKING DOWN FROM MY FRIEND WHO NEEDS ME MORE THAN EVER!"

"You can't turn that back on me! As your former mentor and boss, I order you to give up right now, let me pursue my rage-filled quest alone, and live out your life happily and to the fullest!"

"Ahh~! So contradictory!"

"And another-!" Undyne halted in mid-shout to turn to the monster – another happy little Vulkin who was standing before the counter, its tiny feet shuffling along the ground to a silent tune.

"Oh, right," she muttered, instantly deflating. "I'm still on the clock right now."

Papyrus, whose attention was brought fully to the Vulkin, suddenly had the best idea he ever had in his entire life. Which was quite a feat, as he had many great ideas!

"I PROPOSE A COMPETITION," he said, shooting up his fist to hit the underside of the hot dog stand's roof.

"A what who now?" Undyne asked.

"A COMPETITION. IF YOU REALLY, TRULY DON'T WANT ME TO FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARKNESS THAT IS YOUR GOAL…" He pointed at her, smile radiant, and eyes shining great sparkles to show off to Undyne his fervor and that he meant business. "THEN YOU MUST DEFEAT ME."

Undyne was silent, her sole eye perusing Papyrus with the most piercing look he had ever received from her. Even more than when she assessed him to have the guts (metaphorically speaking) to join the Royal Guard, assigning him his sentry duties as 'training wheels,' or so she said.

Finally, her lips curled in a manic grin. Not one filled with revenge, or with darkness seeping at the edges of her fangs, but like his best friend. "Is that a challenge?"

It was time to set the stakes. Papyrus had one hand on his bony hip, gesturing to the Vulkin with the other. "THE MONSTER WHO MAKES THE BEST HOT DOG THAT FULFILL'S THIS VULKIN'S DESIRE CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. THUS, WHEN I WIN, I CAN ACCOMPANY YOU ON YOUR VIOLENT, DEPRESSION-FILLED QUEST."

Undyne placed a booted foot on the hot dog counter, wrecking the front of the stand to oblivion. It was quite a feat of craftsmanship that the roof and the sides continued standing and didn't collapse from the lack of structural support.

"And if I win, you're going back to being a babybones and working more on your spaghetti. Now bring it on!" Then she fiercely turned to the Vulkin, who was still peacefully smiling at the two. "Now, whaddya want!?"

"Ahh~! Toasty bun!"

"The toastiest bun you ever did see coming right up!" Undyne plunged her fist into the bucket of water sausages (might as well admit it right now), her strength off-the-charts as she did so, making several of the food items explode on contact. In her hand, she held out some mushy goodness, and plopped that into a bun. Papyrus mimicked her motion, though he was able to retrieve a sausage mostly intact.

"I WILL DELIVER THE TOASIEST BUN, UNDYNE! AND THE TASTIEST! NYEH-HEH-HEH!"

"Ha! That's all talk!" She narrowed her eye. "Better put your money where your mouth is, Paps!"

"I WON'T, BECAUSE THAT IS VERY GROSS! BUT I WILL MEET UP TO THE CHALLENGE!"

With matching maniacal grins, they held up their respective hot dog buns, both of them having been wrung to near obliteration from the force of the monsters' drive for victory.

Then they turned around, facing the sea of lava that made up Hotland and was the (weak) inspiration for its name.

"Ready?" Undyne asked, shivering with glee.

"ALWAYS, UNDYNE."

Then, with supreme dedication for customer satisfaction in making the toastiest buns there ever was, they both charged headlong into the lava, spurred on by the Vulkin's cheers.

"Ahh~! So dangerous and fatal-inducing!"

One thing that Sans had learned early on is that he should never predict what would happen when he left Undyne and Papyrus to themselves. That'd be useless in the long run. Also, it was way more fun to be surprised anyway.

"heh," he chuckled when he finally came back from his two-hour break. "guess you both really set this place on fire."

He wasn't even exaggerating here.

"BROTHER. I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE RETURNED FROM YOUR BREAKS." Papyrus greeted with a wave, his bones charred a furious black, soot covering his once-pristine battle body.

"Yeah, just how long was that exactly?" Undyne said, equally charred, but with the whitest smile on her face. Even her hair was singed to the roots.

In both their arms were the charred remains of toasted hot dogs (and cats), the sentry post with the snow-covered roof now completely on fire. In fact, there was fire virtually everywhere, and not just in the magma sea. It was exactly the place that a snowman would never ever want to be even kinda near.

The Vulkin, still standing in front of the destroyed stand, turned to Sans, holding several hot dogs in its core that had infinity-degree burns all over them. "Ahh~! The toastiest!" it squeaked while its very own lava turned all those hot dogs it held into complete ash.

"so hey, quick survey here," Sans said. "how'd you rate the service you just got?"

"Ahh~! The best! So satisfied!"

"k, great. now how'd you rate Undyne's fashion sense?"

"Ohh… could be better…"

"Hey!"

"awesome. thanks for participating. here's a coupon." He handed the Vulkin a toilet square, which looked to have permanent marker written on it. "for all the free hugs you're allowed to give my trainee."

Amazingly, Undyne didn't even growl menacingly at him for that. She was looking pretty happy actually, still caught in the throes of adrenaline from whatever life-or-death thing she and Papyrus had just been doing. Sure, maybe it cost him some in property damages, but Papyrus seemed happy, too, which was really all that mattered.

"thanks for taking over, bro." Sans slowly made his way to the stand, now quietly smoldering, but hey, the water sausages were all cooked now, so there was a plus. "what'd you do anyway?"

"WE HAD A COMPETITION ON WHO CAN MAKE THE BEST HOT DOG FOR OUR CUSTOMER! FULL OF FIRE AND PASSION, AND ALSO A LOT OF FIRE!"

"so who won?"

"BOTH OF US! OUR CUSTOMER COULD NOT CHOOSE!" Papyrus shot his fists up in the air. "WE ARE BOTH THE VICTORS AND THE LOSERS!"

"Yeah, it was kinda lame." Undyne huffed, but couldn't get the smile off her face. "Well, I'm still going to order you to stay at home, but I guess that's all I can do, right?"

"EXACTLY. YOU ARE NOW HELPLESS TO MY DREAM OF HELPING YOU!"

Sans, already tired of standing, sat himself down on the ground where fire had also made its home. "helping with what?"

"HELPING WITH UNDYNE'S QUEST FOR REVENGE AGAINST THE HUMAN."

Sans made only a shrugging motion, looking half-asleep. "sounds neat."

"Fine, but I'm only letting you stand next to me and looking tough then! I'll be doing all the dirty work of the maiming and slaughtering!"

"OKAY! I WILL BE YOUR MORAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR DESTRUCTIVE RAMPAGE!"

Now, this was certainly one, sorta-happy ending that Sans would have to get used to. He'd just have to keep it a secret from the old lady for as long as he could. And though he dug his hands in his coat pockets, and made himself a pillow out of the ash, his grin was a little strained. "heh, well if the kid wants to stick with this ending… gotta wish 'em luck."