"So, Asriel… What's our next move?" asked Karen. "We can't just let those arseholes get away!"
"Why do you think I'm trying to hotwire one of their cars, huh?!" Asriel shot back, as sparks flew from underneath the steering wheel. "Getting out of here was my first priority, but now Jorski's got the treasure that we were after again, and if it gets into the wrong hands, people will get hurt!" As soon as Asriel finished talking, the engine sputtered to life.
"And let's not forget that you're the one who knocked out the driver." Continued Asriel. "Where'd you stash the guy, anyway?"
"Doesn't matter. Besides, you're the one who agreed to take the stealthy approach!" grunted Karen. "Thankfully, Jorski's not left yet."
"What?! He's still here?! Why are we doing this?!" growled Asriel.
"So that when he does get out of here, we can blend in with his convoy, catch him, take the treasure, and the bounty that's on his head. I'm all for a little money, aren't you?!" asked Karen.
"All I care about is making sure that that thief gets what's coming to him. And besides, won't he recognize us?" said Asriel, as Karen pulled a set of black leather uniforms from her bag, as well as a black biker helmet.
"You're so lucky I think ahead." Grinned Karen.
"Karen, where'd you get those?" asked Asriel, nervous now.
"Two of Jorski's henchmen. Did a bit of sleeping magic on them, and they're out like lights. They'll be out for a few hours." Explained Karen, slipping out of her clothes and into the uniform. Asriel whistled his approval.
"Damn, you look good in black." Smiled Asriel.
"Yeah, well, you'll be wearing red if we're caught, so start changing!" urged Karen. Asriel grabbed the uniform off the driver's seat of the car and began changing. As he put the helmet on, he tucked his ears inside, and slipped the visor down.
"This'd better work, Karen." Said Asriel, his voice muffled by the helmet.
"When have my plans not worked?" asked Karen with a sly smile, tying a black bandana around her face. At that moment, voices could be heard coming down the corridor of the facility.
"They're coming! Don't speak unless spoken to." Hissed Karen, jumping into the passenger seat. Asriel shut the door to the car, and waited for Jorski and his men to pass him. Jorski stopped at the car, and looked right at Asriel.
"You still wearing that helmet, eh, Gabriel?" he asked. Asriel nodded.
"Well, I won't question you for your reasons, but that injury you sustained to your eye hasn't made you any less handsome. Let's get a move on before that Asriel prick has a chance to find us, eh?" laughed Jorski. Asriel gripped the wheel tightly as Jorski entered the back of the truck in front of them.
"Breathe, Azzy. Breathe. You'll blow our cover if you lose your temper." Whispered Karen. Asriel's grip on the wheel loosened, and he exhaled.
"You're right. I can't let him know it's me. Not until we have the treasure." He whispered back. "You've got the Flare Whip, right?"
"Yeah, I grabbed it when we escaped the gas chamber." Said Karen. "By the way, how's your head? You said it was hurting when we left."
"It's fine. Vision's still a little blurry, but it's getting better." Replied Asriel. "Let's nail this guy on the road."
"How you wanna do it? Pop his tires? Run him off the road?" asked Karen.
"We'll figure that out once we make some headway." Said Asriel, as the trucks in front of him began to move out onto the road. After about twenty minutes of driving, Jorski pulled a steel suitcase into his lap and opened it.
"Oh, shite, is that it?" asked Karen, as Jorski lifted a small crystal statue from the case. It resembled a monkey, and had emeralds for eyes.
"Yep… that's it, alright." Replied Asriel. "That thing is what made all the animals turn feral back in the village… including you-know-who."
"We're going back for him, right?" asked Karen.
"Of course, we are! No way I'd leave behind that little furball; he's practically family!" nodded Asriel, remembering how Pepper had attacked them back in the village, and how heartbroken Karen was when she had to leave him behind in a cage.
"What if he stays that way? He's my baby, Azzy, I can't leave him behind!" exclaimed Karen.
"We've just got to remove the eyes on the statue, and everything will return to normal. We'll get him back. The fact that he infected Pepper with that crystal monkey made this personal." Said Asriel, as the convoy stopped outside of an old abandoned warehouse.
"Okay, now what? This wasn't where we were supposed to stop." Asked Asriel.
"Um… gimme a minute." Said Karen.
"Everyone out! Form a line!" called Jorski.
"Aw, shit, he knows." Whispered Asriel, stepping out of the vehicle.
"Keep calm, Gabriel. It could just be an inspection." Said Karen, hiding her accent and Asriel's identity as they joined the line. Jorski paced up and down the line of ten soldiers, a gun in his left hand, the steel case in his right.
"Don't do anything stupid." Whispered Asriel.
"Alright, y'all… Now… I don't know if y'all were aware, but we left the compound with two people in a gas chamber… uh, a prince… and an Irish girl… I just got a call over the radio… Gas chamber's empty, and the kid's little whip is gone. Now, I'm a very forgiving man, but the one thing I do not tolerate among my forces is failure." Said Jorski, his southern drawl making his raspy voice the most imposing thing about him. "Now… who was in charge of makin' sure that those brats didn't escape?"
The whole line of soldiers stayed silent. At the far right end of the line, one of the soldiers gulped. Jorski turned at the sound, and went over to the soldier.
"Perhaps you know who it was, Wincester?" he asked.
"N-No, sir. It-It's just… y-you're making me nervous w-with that g-gun in your hand." Said Wincester.
"Uh-huh… Well, perhaps you can give me some inkling as to who among us was here ahead of schedule…?" asked Jorski, causing Karen's breath to catch in her throat. She stiffened.
"N-No, sir. I was only with you at your meeting." Said Wincester.
"Hm… well… that's just a right shame, now, isn't it?" smiled Jorski, before shooting Wincester in the head. Every soldier in the line flinched as Wincester's body slid back against the side of the truck and fell to the ground. Karen did her best not to scream.
"Now… unless one o' y'all steps up and admits to their mistake, I'm gonna go down the line and shoot every single one of ya'!" shrieked Jorski. Out of fear, Karen grabbed ahold of Asriel's arm. Quickly, Asriel shook it off, but not quickly enough. Jorski moved down the line towards them.
"Katherine? Do I sense some fear in you?" he asked.
"N-No, sir!" replied Karen, her accent completely hidden.
"I remember you were near the gas chamber when we left for my meeting. And you didn't follow us." Said Jorski.
"I-I was ordered to guard the chamber from the outside!" replied Karen shakily.
"So you let them out, then?" asked Jorski.
"N-No, sir! I didn't let them out! L-Last I saw, they were still there!" Karen insisted, before she was pulled away from the line by two soldiers. Karen struggled against them, but was quickly pacified.
"It had to have been you. How else would they have gotten out?" asked Jorski.
"I swear I didn't! J-Jasper was the one who relieved me of my post! He's back at the compound!" Karen insisted, tears beginning to fall from her eyes
"Of course, he is…" smiled Jorski, pointing the gun at her head. Just as Jorski was about to pull the trigger, a blue aura surrounded the gun and yanked it upwards out of Jorski's hand. The shot reverberated out into the night sky, and as Jorski watched, the gun flew out onto the concrete with a force so hard, it broke into pieces.
"What the hell was that?! Which one of you did-" started Jorski, before he saw, to his horror, that the soldiers all had their guns pointed at him. A purple cloud hung over each of their heads, and their eyes were glazed over… all except one.
"Surrender the case, and the girl, and I promise you they won't shoot." Said Asriel, removing his helmet. Jorski began to step back.
"N-Now, hold on a moment, Asriel! My men still have her in their hands, and with a snap o' my fingers, they'll snap her neck." Grinned Jorski.
"You really want to test that?" asked Asriel. Jorski grinned, and snapped his fingers. Jorski's men moved forward and grabbed him by the head.
"What in the hell?!" gasped Jorski, as he saw that purple clouds were hanging over their heads as well.
"Case… Now… before they snap your neck." Grunted Asriel flatly. Jorski struggled to breathe as he stretched his arm out to Asriel, case in hand. Asriel took the case, opened it, and removed the emeralds from the statue's eyesockets.
"So, now what, prince? You gonna kill me?" asked Jorski.
"Who, me? Nah, nah… I don't kill people." Smiled Asriel. Jorski grinned hopefully.
"Now… other people…?" smirked Asriel, snapping his fingers. Jorski's men wrapped their arms around Jorski's neck and twisted. Jorski fell to the ground, his neck bent at an odd angle. Karen screamed in horror. Asriel moved to her side.
"I'm sorry you had to see that-" he started, before Karen pushed him away.
"What the ever-loving fuck, Asriel?!" she screamed. "You said we were going to take him alive!"
"Yeah, well, plans change, alright?! He was going to shoot you, I had to do something!" replied Asriel.
"You promised me that Aberon would be the last life you took!" shrieked Karen.
"I know I did! I know, I know! But you blew our cover and had a gun to your head! What else was I supposed to do?!" Asriel shot back, growing angry now.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe restrain him and take him to the police?! What you just did was something Flowey would do!" growled Karen.
"Would you rather I'd just let him shoot you?! I just saved your fucking life!" screamed Asriel.
"By taking someone else's!" Karen shot back.
"And what difference does it make?! The man was a criminal with the death penalty on his head! They were gonna kill him, anyway!" argued Asriel. Karen glared at Asriel with furious contempt.
"At least then, it would have been civilized." She said.
"Look, what do you want from me?!" asked Asriel. "Ever since we left on this adventure, we've been shot at, thrown into a gas chamber, eaten alive by bugs, and countless other things! You may be the brains where I fall short, alright, but where survival is concerned, I've got the long end of the stick!"
"So you're my bodyguard, then? Is that it?" asked Karen. "Well, where's my boyfriend, huh? The one that I know and love who would do the rational thing, instead of committing cold-blooded murder!"
"Well, when you're the one who always gets caught, someone has to be!" growled Asriel.
"Oh, I'm the one who gets caught?!"
"If you hadn't grabbed my arm, he wouldn't have singled you out!" shouted Asriel. "And think about this! If you hadn't been worrying about Pepper back in Paradise when I found the Flare Whip-"
"Oh, ho, ho, no, don't you dare go pawning that shit on me! If you hadn't pulled the thing in the first place, that cavern wouldn't have collapsed and-"
"We wouldn't have gotten to the Paragon." Grunted Asriel, crossing his arms. "Sans would be dead, I would have died in Aberon's body, Asgore would be dead, Frisk would be dead, and so would you."
The two glared at each other for a few moments, before Karen raised her hands in defeat.
"Alright… Alright… fine… Blame it all on me. That's all you ever do; just take the consequences of your own actions and shift them onto someone else." She said, lifting Jorski's body over her shoulder. "We're going back to the police, dropping off his body, and that'll be it. Nothing more between us."
"Wait, Karen! What do you mean?!" asked Asriel, concerned.
"I mean that after we finish this job… I'm out. You can keep the bounty." Replied Karen, popping the trunk of the car and dropping the body in unceremoniously.
"No, Karen…! Wait! I-" started Asriel, grabbing for her hand. Karen pulled back and slapped Asriel across the face, knocking him to the ground. She glared down at him as he held his face.
"We've been on a lot of adventures, Asriel, but this? This is the first I've seen you murder someone. Is this the real you? Because if it is, I want nothing to do with it." She hissed.
"Karen, I'm sorry, alright?! I was just caught up in the moment! I wasn't thinking and-" started Asriel.
"You always say that! You always say you're sorry, and yet you always make the same mistakes!" shouted Karen.
"I've done well not to murder anyone since Paradise, alright?! This is the first time I've made this mistake since then, Karen! Cut me some slack!" begged Asriel.
"Just… urgh…! Fuck it… Let's just get this shit done and over with, alright?" growled Karen, getting into the car.
"What about Jorski's men?" asked Asriel.
"Just fucking leave them!" screamed Karen.
Asriel looked around at the group of soldiers before climbing into the driver's seat. The car sped off into the night, and as it did, the soldiers collapsed on the concrete.
Long ago, when the world had just been born, the Humans and Monsters were watched over by the Gods, who tended to the suns and moons, and helped the crops grow. Nothing seemed like it could go wrong. But over time, the humans began to argue over which God was the most important; Abris, the God of The Sun, who would bring light and energy to the earth to grow crops; Iona, Goddess of the Moon, who would bring peaceful slumber to the people; Gaea, Goddess of the Earth, who created all life; Uldona, God of the Weather, who created the conditions of living during the seasons; and finally, Sombus, the Guardian Deity of Monsters. The lesser Gods, Typhos, God of Peace, and Miphos, God of Law, began to worry that the future of the two bickering races would create new Gods; Gods of Death, Destruction, Disease, and War. These Gods would end up destroying the very world they had created. Sombus was especially worried, as his people were made up entirely of Magical Energy. If war was to break out between the Humans and Monsters, the Monsters would surely be the first to die, and then who would remember him? Sombus was not a violent god, and was considered by many as a pacifist. This was what ultimately led to his downfall. In an attempt to quell the fighting, he crossed over into the Mortal Realm, disguised as an old prophet in an attempt to reason with the people on Earth. But none would listen. They called Sombus crazy, and beat his body down with stones and clubs. Having taken the form of a human and renouncing his powers, Sombus was killed. This angered the Gods, and many of the Humans and Monsters suffered or died at the hands of their wrath. Those that survived felt guilt and remorse for what had happened to Sombus and buried his body at the heart of a great mountain. With the power of magic, seven wizards from each race crafted a staff that contained Sombus' power and authority over Monsters. The Monsters worried that, if put into the wrong hands, the staff would bring ruin to the Monster Race. So, they placed an enchantment upon the mountain and the surrounding forest, barring the way to the Staff from anyone who dared to seek after it. The forest consumed many victims with its ensnaring fog; one wrong turn, and you'd return to the beginning, with no memory of any previous attempts. If one managed to pass the fog, a door would appear at the base of the mountain, bathed in a blue light. Legends hold that only a worthy successor of Sombus would be able to open the door and take the staff for their own. But none have succeeded.
"I aim to be the first, Chara!" said Asriel, closing the book and placing it upon the shelf over his bed. Chara laughed, and rolled over to face her adopted brother.
"Asriel, you know that's just a story, right? That stuff happened, like, a couple millennia ago? If something like that did exist, it's probably crumbled to dust by now." She joked, before Asriel jumped over to his sister's bed.
"What if it is real, though! That staff could be there! Do you know how much power is in that thing?!" gawked Asriel. "A power fit for a god! Right in the palm of my hand!"
"Yeah, your tiny, little paws wouldn't even be able to lift that thing, let alone find it. I bet you don't even know what mountain its hidden in." chided Chara, pushing Asriel off of her.
"I'm going to find it, Chara! Someday, when we get out of this Underground jail, I'm going to go on an adventure with you, and we'll-" started Asriel, before the door to their bedroom opened. Toriel's head poked in, her face confused, but not quite angry.
"My children, you're both supposed to be sleeping." She said.
"I was sleeping… until Fluffbutt over here got excited over some silly story." Grunted Chara, pulling the covers over her head and flipping Asriel to the floor. Asriel rubbed his head and began scrambling back to his bed. Toriel stepped into the room and tucked Asriel into his covers.
"What story were you reading, my child?" asked Toriel, looking now to the shelf.
"The Fate of Sombus." Replied Asriel. "Dad said I should learn about some history, and he suggested I start with this one."
"Of course, he would. That was his favorite story when he was your age. Back when… Grandpa Jorin was still around." Smiled Toriel, just barely stopping herself from mentioning Aberon.
"Mom…? Do you think the staff exists?" asked Asriel.
"I know it does! My Father managed to traverse the fog and made it to the mountain… but the door wouldn't open for him. When he told the people in Monstrum, our old Capital City on the surface about his discovery, everyone called him a fake. A liar. A loony." Said Toriel. "But I believed him. He'd found so many artifacts before that I had to believe him. But when you find something like that, even when no one believes you, there's always the one person who does and stabs them in the back."
"No…! He didn't…!" moaned Asriel.
"Yes… he was approached by a monster who told him to lead him through the fog. But my father refused, and… well, he knifed him." Sighed Toriel. "I was only five years old."
"Mom… You never told me that happened to Grandpa Rayburn!" whimpered Asriel.
"Oh, my child, don't cry! Oh… c-come here, Azzy." Smiled Toriel comfortingly, wrapping her son in a hug. "I think that's enough story time for tonight."
"Ya' think?" Grunted Chara under her covers, causing Toriel to turn.
"Yes, I do, Chara." She said, hiding behind her smile a slight twinge of annoyance. "Good night, my children."
"Good night, Mom!" echoed the children, as Toriel left the room. After a few minutes, Chara rolled over and groaned. Asriel heard it, and cracked an eye open.
"I know that groan. What's wrong, Chara?" asked Asriel.
"How long are we going to be stuck down here, Azzy? It feels like years since I fell down here!" exclaimed Chara. "I've done literally everything I could think of!"
"Chara, it's only been a few months! Trust me, we'll find a way to the surface! And when we do, we're going to find that staff and clear Grandpa Rayburn's name." grinned Asriel, a determined look upon his face.
"Yeah, well, unless you got a few Human Souls lying around, we're not budging." Said Chara.
"Chara? What are you implying?"
"Never mind it, Azzy. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" beamed Chara.
"A-Alright, Chara… g'night, ya weirdo." Chuckled Asriel, rolling over.